Dear John 



Parliamentary News from Louise



It is hard to believe we are nearly halfway through the year. 



The first part has been quite eventful and we have made some exciting announcements about National’s aspirations for businesses needing workers, our youth and jobseekers.



Into Work Workshops



I’ve been hosting country-wide “Into Work” workshops, connecting local businesses looking for workers and local people seeking employment.



Businesses across the country are crying out for workers. You cannot walk into a supermarket, café or retail shop without seeing a ‘Help Wanted’ sign.



The workshops are for anyone finding staff, looking for work or an agency helping others find jobs. They aim to help solve challenges for businesses and reduce barriers for those seeking work.



If you are a senior getting back into the workforce, a parent returning to work, a local employer searching for staff or someone on Jobseeker Support, this ‘Into Work’ workshop is for you.







A list of upcoming events with date and venue details can be found here <[link removed]>.



Welfare that Works policy



At the recent National Party's annual conference, leader Christopher Luxon announced a new Welfare that Works policy, specifically targeting those young people that Labour is ignoring. 



Businesses face critical worker shortages, yet there are currently 170,000 people receiving the Jobseeker or unemployment benefit and 13,000 of them are young people who've been receiving it for longer than a year.  



It stands to reason that the people on the Jobseeker benefit for more than a year during a time of high employment are either those who have particular challenges in finding or holding down a job, so need extra help, or they're people who don't want to work.



National won't continue to fund failure and since the Ministry of Social Development is demonstrably unable to help this group, National's policy is to bring in community providers who can. 



We're proposing that community providers have job coaches who work with each Jobseeker to determine their needs and develop an individualised plan to move them towards work that is appropriate for their circumstances. This is the heart of the policy. 



As a bonus, if a Jobseeker who's been on a benefit longer than a year gets a job and stays off welfare for 12 months, they get a $1000 payment.







More information on this policy here. <[link removed]>



Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System Bill and Children and Young People's Commission Bill



The Government has recently used its majority advantage to push through two bills to reform Oranga Tamariki and state care monitoring <[link removed]> through Parliament, in spite of widespread opposition from other parties and sector proponents.



The system that Labour was bringing in, has not been designed with children at its heart. Instead, they've made it incredibly complicated and it creates an even greater risk of children falling through the cracks.



The list of submitters against this bill is exhaustive.  They include lawyers, judges, academics, public policy experts, teachers, social workers, iwi leaders, former police officers; children's advocates like Child Matters, the Save the Children organisation, Social Justice Aotearoa.







Watch my speech in the House on this Bill here <[link removed]>.



Upcoming engagement opportunities  



Facebook Live



- Tuesday 13 September, 8pm. Join me live on Facebook @louiseupstonmp for our regular chat about issues that matter to you.



If you missed our August meeting, you can watch it back here <[link removed]>.



Friendly Forums



- Cambridge – Friday 2 Sep 10am – 11am. Cambridge Health & Community Centre, 22a Taylor Street.  RSVP here <[link removed]>. 

- Turangi – Friday 23 Sep 10am – 11am. Turangi Service Centre Conference Room, 1 Ngawaka Place. RSVP here <[link removed]>.

- Putaruru – Friday 30 Sep 10am – 11am. The Plaza Function Room, 50 Kensington Street. RSVP here <[link removed]>



Women Influencers Taupo



- 12 September, Victoria's Cafe Kitchen Bar, 127 Tongariro Street, Taupō.    



Guest Speaker is Joan McBeath, Volunteer Great Lake Taupō founder. RSVP here <[link removed]>.







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National Party Taupo - New Zealand

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