Hi John

Each day the repercussions of the Government’s loose spending policies are making the lives of Kiwis harder. Record levels of inflation is impacting all sectors, but people are feeling it most at the petrol pump and at the supermarket. The belated response by the Reserve Bank has resulted in rising interest rates, which will have a massive impact on homeowners and potential first-time buyers.

The cost of living payment due to begin in August is unlikely to provide any relief to the squeezed middle, as more and more of the weekly budget is being spent just to put food on the table and to keep a roof over their heads.

It’s no surprise that consumer confidence is at its lowest level since 1988.

Moreover, seemingly every day the decline in law and order under Labour gets worse. Years of soft on crime approaches have let gangs fester and grow. Since 2017 gang membership in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty has gone up 66% and 37%, respectively. National announced a policy which would provide police with four tools to get tougher on gangs. Unfortunately, the Government has chosen to replace the Police Minister rather than take any practical steps to get on top of the country-wide crime wave.

Put simply, New Zealand is headed in the wrong direction under Labour.

I’m also worried about the impacts that the Waikato Regional Council’s coastal review could have on our region. Although it’s just a discussion document at this stage and WRC hasn’t made any final decisions, its concerning that local government is even considering giving themselves the powers to instigate marine protection areas. This has always been the purview of central government, which means these decisions go through the full parliamentary process.

Everyone wants to improve our marine environment, but the WRC paper will only add to an already complicated debate about how best to maintain, protect and enhance the health of the Hauraki Gulf. I’m strongly of the view that when it comes to the creation of ‘no take’ marine reserves, it should be central government and the Ministry of Fisheries that make those decisions not regional councils.

The Waikato Regional Council are seeking feedback on their plan. For more information about the review and the submission process, follow the link below

Waikato Regional Coastal Plan review | Your Voice Matters Waikato


Kind regards

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Hon Scott Simpson
http://scottsimpson.national.org.nz/