Living Strong, Aging Well

There is much discussion around the health of our older New Zealanders and how we can age well.

In reality, the delivery of health services accounts for only a relatively small percentage of health outcomes as we age. Significantly, dry warm housing, nutrition, exercise, social connection, and personal safety are equally important contributors to aging well.

New Zealand First understands how important it is to drive for an overarching investment in living strong, not just aging well.

On this basis how we live, how we connect with our neighbours and community is also critically important. For Maori there is a powerful concept known as “turangawaewae” that refers broadly to the place where you stand, where you are safe and have power.

Sadly, for many New Zealanders, increasingly so, there is no longer that place. This is why New Zealand First is delivering on practical housing solutions including the 60m2 subsidiary dwelling. This will support multi-generational living, optimizing land use and increase housing security.

In addition to housing, we need to invest more energy in living strong much earlier in life. Living stronger can include the benefits of exercise to bone health and social engagement; benefits of nutrition in preventing stroke and diabetes; or even the benefits of knowing more about technology to navigate changing systems to connect with others.

Yes, we will continue to strive to repair and improve our health system; there are clear priorities and accountabilities that are the key focus. But it is also important we all learn that aging well does not start when we reach 65 but is also impacted by the decisions we make as young people.

Just as we are encouraging everyone to save money and invest in their future, we must also be encouraging an investment in our health.

Turning around the moribund fortunes of the New Zealand Economy

I always enjoy my trips down to Southland and last weekend's one, particularly so. I had the great honour in my capacity as Associate Regional Development Minister, of officially opening the extraordinary Te Whare Okene Wilderness Experience on Stewart Island.

This collaboration between the Rakiura Maori Land Trust and Central Government Funding, originally provisioned under the old Provincial Growth Fund, has had a long gestation period but boy have they done a magnificent job. The panoramas, facilities, walking tracks, beaches and, predator controlled ecosanctuary are truly stunning.

It is a great example of Regional Development, bringing community, government and the private sector together to deliver a world class tourism experience. Tourism on Rakiura is going from strength to strength with November’s numbers up 30% year on year, creating jobs, opportunities and growth. Te Whare Okene joins the Rakiura Great Walk, Dark Sky Sanctuary status and wild Kiwi experiences as true jewels in the Stewart Island tourism portfolio. Added to the traditional hunting and fishing trips there is now quite the package to continue to drive tourism growth.

Speaking of growth, the Coalition are absolutely focused on turning around the moribund fortunes of the New Zealand Economy this year. Reinvigorating tourism has been one of the identified targets.
But as we all know in regional New Zealand we largely rise and fall off the back of our primary sector and it is fantastic to see our farmers back on the front foot.

The recent stats New Zealand figures that show our terms of trade up 25% year on year is a massive turnaround and almost totally attributable to our Primary Sector. We know it's been a tough few years for our farmers, especially in Southland after enduring the endless wet of 2024, but once again they are leading New Zealand out of a dark place economically.

The government is doing our best to limit compliance burdens and bring in more pragmatic regulatory solutions and it is heartening for us to see farmer confidence lifting significantly. There a fair bit left to do but we are confident we have turned the ship around. The light is finally at the end of the tunnel.

Servicing our Nation

As Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Media and Communications with the regional connectivity delegation I have been meeting with local providers to find out more about the internet coverage around the regions.

Patchy coverage can be a frustration for those who run their business from home.
Our rural communities have challenges to provide ubiquitous internet connectivity, the distances and topology can create financial barriers to growing the coverage map.

There has already been significant Government investment, projects like the Rural Broadband Initiative and Blackspot mobile coverage projects as examples.

There has also been a significant injection of technology and money from the private sector, when meeting with stakeholders in rural communities, they are often unaware of the range of technologies and service providers outside the big three Telco companies.

Many of these additional services have been provided by Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISP’s); these operations range from one-man bands through to larger organisations.

Companies like Lightwire (providing services from the Bombays to Taupo) or Inspire (Manuwatu) can provide connectivity where there are limited or even no options. WISP’s such as these can provide very personalised answers to problems and compete with the big three leading with their service levels.

These smaller Wireless Internet Service providers are local, meaning during events like cyclone Gabriel, they have the ability to put local hands and feet on the ground quickly to restore services.

The mix of providers mean that the footprint of rural connectivity steadily increases over time using a broad mix of technologies depending on the site.

While satellite is in the news with providers like Starlink, the localised WISP’s don’t have the marketing budgets to match to get attention, a quick search will often bring up those closest providers who are typically Kiwi owned and local businesses.

And surely, we need more local businesses stepping up to service our nation.

Don’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg

This week in the House I had the opportunity to speak in the special debate on the Government’s Budget Policy Statement (BPS). The BPS sets out the Government’s priorities for the upcoming budget to be announced on May 22nd.

New Zealand First signalled prior to the election the dire state the New Zealand economy was in under the previous government. Those announcements have unfortunately been proven right, with fiscal cliffs (unfunded projects), infrastructure, debt and government expenses booming out of control, and tax revenue decreasing due to the uncertainty of the economy.

The need for economic growth for job creation and increased export revenue is a vital part of the Government’s plan for recovery. Support for primary industries such as farming, aquaculture and horticulture are all opportunities to increase productivity. I reminded the opposition Parties in my speech, that they have tried to “kill the Goose that lays the golden egg” by lack of support and burden of regulations to those very industries we need.

New Zealand First has championed our primary industries consistently. For example, in aquaculture, we extended resource consents and investment into marine infrastructure. We also understand the importance of water storage to provide opportunities for productive land change in horticulture development and farming.

Practical solutions will unlock economic activity and help turn the New Zealand economy around.

Our electoral system belongs to the people of New Zealand, not to politicians!

New Zealand’s three-year Parliamentary term is short by international standards. Extending it to four years has long been advocated for to allow Governments more opportunity to deliver their programmes. It is argued this will allow more strategic thinking and more time to fully consider legislation.

Conversely many Kiwis, especially given our experience of the last Labour Government, will be concerned about a longer term without greater checks and balances.

A Bill to allow a four-year term is currently open for submissions (Closes 1.00pm Thursday, 17 April 2025).

New Zealand First supports a four-year term, and we solidified this in our coalition agreement. However, our support is subject to a favourable referendum outcome. We strongly believe our electoral system belongs to the people of New Zealand, not to politicians!

We also think any referendum should include a question about the term length for councils, so the two elections are always kept separate.

Greater disciplines on councils are relatively easy to create through law changes. It’s harder for Government which is sovereign. Therefore New Zealand First is very interested in Kiwis’ ideas about suitable checks and balances. You might consider greater use of referenda (like Switzerland), strengthening the Bill of Rights or enhancing some of our constitutional conventions.

I encourage people to talk to us, to have a say on the current Bill and potentially to help frame our electoral system for the future.

The grown-ups are back in charge again

There is a saying that the more comfortable you can be with discomfort, then the more comfortable your life will be.

The same goes with uncertainty. If you can sit with uncertainty, then the more ‘comfortable’ your life will be. Easy to say, not so easy to do.

People like certainty. It is when we have more certainty, we are more comfortable in making big decisions, and more importantly, following through with committed action.

This was the message I repeatedly heard during a recent meeting with a group of entrepreneurs and business owners in our largest city, Auckland. 

The lack of certainty in recent years was one of the reasons they believed the economy was at a standstill. Whilst there are many risk takers out there who make big bold decisions during turbulent economic times, most do not. 

I heard that the business community lacked confidence, were hesitant in making decisions and felt more comfortable to sit and wait. Until now.

The narrative is changing and with the drive towards increased economic growth and welcoming new investment, New Zealand’s doors are wide open for business.

The grown-ups are back in charge again. This is what kiwis want and need, leaders who lead with confidence and certainty.

Leaders who put New Zealand First.