Dear John,

It’s been a busy few weeks in Wellington with my Auckland colleagues still locked down and Parliament operating under Covid restrictions. The National Party continues to lean in and do the work while the Government’s parliamentary order paper remains embarrassingly light.

Motivated to bring Kiwis home for Christmas, we have launched a comprehensive plan for re-opening New Zealand and resuming life as (close to) normal as possible in the coming months. A part of that plan involves a reset of current immigration settings which the Government effectively cut and pasted for its own announcement today – see more on that below.

Parliament is now in a two week recess so I will be out and about in the region and have a packed schedule of public events. Please check the list of dates and times for a range of coffee meetings I’m having around Selwyn and do come along to your nearest café – as always, I’d love to see you.

Three Waters

Both the Christchurch City Council and Waimakariri District Council have said no to the Government’s latest asset-grab and it’s time for Selwyn District Council to do the same. The Government’s model of four water entities will strip control from communities and erode local democracy, putting ratepayer accountability at arm’s length.

We agree that every New Zealander deserves clean, safe water. But Labour’s deeply flawed entity model is not the way to get there.

The Government looks set to ram through their plan at any cost – including making the reforms compulsory for councils, if that’s what it takes.

We are calling on all Kiwis to sign and share our petition, demand the debate on Three Waters, and tell the Government they can’t force their asset grab on New Zealand!

https://www.national.org.nz/stop-the-three-waters-asset-grab

Youth Parliament

The Youth Parliament will be returning in 2022. Held every three years, Youth Parliament is a unique opportunity for young New Zealanders to learn first-hand about our democracy, how to influence government decision-making, and have their voices heard.

During the six-month tenure from March to August 2022, including a two-day event at Parliament on 19 and 20 July 2022, youth from across New Zealand will represent their communities as Youth Members of Parliament (aged 16 to 18), members of the Youth Press Gallery or as the first Youth Clerk of the House of Representatives (aged 16 to 24).

Selwyn has a strong track record in sending future leaders to Parliament, and if you know someone would be interested, I can highly recommend they apply. Applications opened on 15 September 2021 and will close of 12 November 2021.

To apply, please submit either a short video or one-page document explaining why they think they would make a great Youth MP to [email protected].

More information is on the Parliament website: https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/youth-parliament-2022/

Letter to the Prime Minister

Last week, the South Island National Party MPs wrote a joint letter to the Prime Minister requesting a copy of the expert advice received that led to the decision to keep the South Island at Alert Level 2.

I was happy to jointly sign the letter on behalf of thousands of residents in Selwyn who have been needlessly locked down and prevented from going about their daily lives.

The decision to keep the South Island at Alert Level 2 for the foreseeable future will have a deep and irrevocable impact on South Islanders, and inevitably force more businesses to close if this is prolonged.

You can read the full letter here.

Trade Portfolio

I’m really excited to have recently been appointed the National Party spokesperson for Trade and Export Growth – selling our products to the world will be the key driver for paying down debt and growing our nation’s wealth, and I intend to do everything I can to advocate for this essential sector.

I’m spending as much time as possible with exporters and manufacturers around the country to learn the business from the factory floor – or farm gate – to market.

Many thanks to Lyttelton Port Companys CEO Roger Grey for taking the time to show me how the supply chain operates here in Canterbury – from Midland Port in Rolleston to the docks in Lyttleton

The recent lockdown in Auckland has thrown into sharp relief the need for New Zealand to diversify supply lines and shipping routes so risk is transferred across the country and balanced between major ports in both the North Island and South Island.

National's Immigration Plan

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery so it is flattering indeed that the Government has finally responded to the dire state of immigration in New Zealand and has cut and pasted the National Party policy.

On Wednesday, National unveiled our plan to reopen New Zealand to the world safely and sustainably. Opening up to the world gives New Zealand the opportunity to attract overseas talent. Happily, the Government now seems to have adopted it and has drastically back-peddled on its earlier position to cut immigration flows into our country.

There’s not a week that goes by where I don’t have someone contact me with serious concerns about immigration issues, staff shortages or border closures impacting on them and their families.

On any given week I hear from farmers, contracting companies, trucking companies, vineyards, cafes and restaurants and, even, hairdressers who are absolutely desperate for staff, or from immigrants themselves who are absolutely desperate for some certainty around their visas.

To make matters worse, New Zealander’s and migrants alike are being actively targeted by Canadian and Australian recruiters to help address their own labour shortages, with the promise of residency, family reunification, and higher pay.

To help our economy bounce back, National – and now Labour - would create a pathway to residence for those migrants who have stuck with us through the pandemic, create a fast-tracked and streamlined process for residence applications to quickly clear the backlog, and offer a pathway to residence on arrival for highly-sought skilled workers. National would also reopen the expression of interest pool and process these applications with urgency.

Offering a clear pathway to permanent residency will make sure that we remain an attractive destination for skilled migrants to come and work at a time when we need them more than ever.

Coffee Catch Up

On Tuesday 12 October and Thursday 14 October, I will be hosting coffee catch-ups around the electorate. No appointment necessary. 

Upcoming events

Surrey Hill Station Garden Tour

Sunday 31 October 10am - 4pm

To book tickets: https://www.national.org.nz/selwyn-garden-tour-31-oct-2021

Public Meeting on Three Waters with Chris Luxon

Wednesday 3 November

Time & Venue TBC

-

Pub Politics with Nicola

Thursday 2 December 5pm - 7pm

Tai Tapu Pub

If you have any queries, please email my office on [email protected] or phone 03 344 2800. 

Kind regards,

Nicola Grigg
http://nicolagrigg.national.org.nz/

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