Dear John 

Parliamentary News Update

Winter is here, and I hope you and your family are staying warm.

Parliament has been in recess for three weeks in July which overlapped with the school holidays. I spent some of the recess in Singapore and Germany with Leader Christopher Luxon, and the rest out and about in our electorate. 

In Cambridge, it was lovely to meet the new manager of Cambridge Community House, Gabby Byrne. Gabby and her team are doing many wonderful things in the community. Keep up the excellent work! 

We also welcomed Kuldeep and her team at the new SuperValue Supermarket, a wonderful facility that will be a real asset to the local community.

Penny Simmonds, MP for Invercargill and Spokesperson for Disabilities, joined me to visit the Achievement House in Cambridge and the South Waikato Achievement Trust in Tokoroa. 

In Tokoroa, they provide housing and employment opportunities for people with disabilities and who are disadvantaged. It is a vital service in our community. I have visited many times before, and each time, I am amazed at the incredible atmosphere there and enjoy meeting their team. 

I’m excited to have two new team members. Looking after Cambridge is Linda Meerkerk, and she can be contacted on 07 827 5572 or [email protected].  

Anna McNaughton is covering South Waikato and Taupō and can be reached as follows:

• Taupō - 07 376 5563 or [email protected] 
• South Waikato - 07 886 5554 or [email protected]

Have a great weekend, and do stay in touch.  You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram.  

Best wishes,

Hon Louise Upston
http://louiseupston.national.org.nz/

Into Work Workshop

In Taupō, we hosted our first Into Work Workshop. Into Work is a series of country-wide workshops connecting local businesses looking for workers and people seeking employment. Official data shows the Government has failed to address the rise in benefit dependency. Businesses are crying out for workers, and at the moment, you cannot walk into a supermarket, café or retail shop without seeing a ‘Help Wanted’ sign. 

The workshop aimed to help solve business challenges and reduce barriers for those seeking work. Here in Taupō, there are 1293 people on the Jobseeker benefit, which is 7% of our working-age population. While the Waikato Workforce Plan was recently launched, I know businesses have needs now and have had for quite some time.  

Thank you to everyone who came along to the workshop. I look forward to staying in touch to hear how things are going for you. 

Youth Parliament

Youth Parliament 2022 took place on 19 and 20 July, and our Taupō Youth MP, Sophia Goodrich, did us proud! You can watch her speech in the House here.

Celebrating Geothermal Week 2022

It was great to attend the launch of Geothermal Week too. NZ Geothermal Week 2022 offers an exciting and extensive line-up of industry, education and community events, including industry seminars and workshops, school outreach, open days, competitions, field trips and networking events. Greg Stebbing (Trustee for Te Pae O Waimihia) announced a new development of He Ahi – the Tauhara Clean Energy Park, an excellent investment in the Taupō region.

The park will attract investment into the Taupō district and provide opportunities for local investors, creating jobs and building skills while reducing environmental footprint and embodying traditional Maori values within a robust business environment.

Upcoming engagement opportunities  

Facebook Live

Tuesday 9 August, 8pm. Join me live on Facebook @louiseupstonmp for our regular chat about issues that matter to you.

If you missed our June meeting, you can watch it back here.

Friendly Forums

• Cambridge – Friday 2 Sep10am – 11am. Cambridge Health & Community Centre, 22a Taylor Street.  RSVP here. 
• Turangi – Friday 23 Sep 10am – 11am. Turangi Service Centre Conference Room, 1 Ngawaka Place. RSVP here.
• Putaruru – Friday 30 Sep 10am – 11am. The Plaza Function Room, 50 Kensington Street. RSVP here