Dear John,

The rain! Pictures this week have showed damage to people’s homes, properties and farms, as well as public infrastructure like parks, roads and water systems. I really feel for everyone affected.

Speaking of traumatic experiences, the owners of a shop in Napier told me yesterday about being burgled twice in three days. It’s hard enough to run a physical retail business in an era of online shopping and the worry of ram raids and burglaries is another burden. But imagine how dismal our towns would be without the colour and convenience of local shops!

There are far too many brazen offenders who either don’t see or don’t fear consequences for their actions. National is the party of law and order. We will tackle gangs and back Police. Police’s priority is to fight crime and protect people and property. This Government is soft on crime: National will not be.

This week’s economic news was dominated by the Reserve Bank’s record fourth consecutive 50-point rise in the Official Cash Rate – which largely determines other interest rates. People re-fixing large mortgages in the coming months must brace themselves for substantial increases in their payments. It’s possible some homeowners won’t be able to find that money.

National is committed to returning the Reserve Bank to a single focus of fighting inflation. If that mandate was in place already, the Bank would surely have acted sooner to prevent inflation running away. National’s Finance spokesperson Nicola Willis shared some insight on the bank in this press release.

The Government will this year spend $51 billion more than National spent in its last year in office only five years ago. Just as I talk about consequences for the actions of individuals, a government can’t spend that much extra money without there being consequences for a relatively small economy. One consequence is inflation running at 7.3 per cent. On a lighter note, my office had some thoughts about the cost-of-living crisis, and you might enjoy this.

I appeared on Newshub Nation last weekend. I was asked about candidate selections, National’s tax policy (make no mistake, we’re the party of lower taxes!) and our new Welfare that Works policy. Welfare that Works includes sanctions for people who are on a benefit for a free ride but of course there won’t be sanctions for people who are genuinely trying to follow their individualised plan to find work. Getting people into work is the point of the policy. The interview is here.

One of the pleasures of being leader of the National Party is getting around the country and meeting people in schools, saleyards, on farms, and at their small, medium, and large businesses. This week I was in Temuka, Timaru and Hawkes Bay, as well as Christchurch and Auckland. Almost everywhere I go, people are talking about the difficulty in recruiting staff. The Government has been far too slow to use immigration levers to help resolve the critical worker shortage. In fact, New Zealand is losing more people than it’s gaining. That’s an indictment on the Government’s performance.

From Auckland boardrooms to here at Temuka Sales, I appreciate hearing about people’s livelihoods and what they would expect from a National government.

A National government will run the economy well, and restore hope, optimism, and opportunity.

Stay dry this weekend!
Christopher

SIMON WATTS: MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD ON THREE WATERS

Of the over 16,000 who submitted on Three Waters through National, over 1400 asked to deliver a submission in person. It’s appalling that you didn’t get that right.

Once again, this shows Labour doesn’t care – they don’t want to keep it local and don’t want to hear from locals.

We want to show them just how wrong they are.

Will you join us in our online protest? Send me a photo of you and the message you want to send Labour on a sign or piece of paper, and I will use it as part of our campaign to Stop Three Waters.

SIMEON BROWN: SIGN OUR PETITION TO PROTECT THE SCHOOL DROP-OFF

Labour has made it clear in its Reshaping Streets proposal that there should be greater restrictions of school drop-offs and pick-ups in cars, supposedly to get more people walking, cycling, or taking public transport to school.

Giving communities more transport choices means innovating and investing – not simply taking options away. Whether to drop the kids off at school in a car belongs to parents and communities, not governments and local councils.

The Government needs to scrap these proposals immediately. National’s petition will send that message loud and clear.