Watts Happening: June 2021

Labour is pushing ahead with their proposed hate speech laws which will only divide communities. The Prime Minister has misled the public.

She is shutting down debate and hiding the fact that 'insulting' someone is the threshold for punishment under their laws.

And then yesterday, the Prime Minister told Parliament she is open to including 'political speech' in the legislation. National stands for freedom of speech and will repeal these radical proposals.

Read more about local events below, including my take on the bloated Northern Pathway announcement ⬇⬇

Warm regards,
Simon

Northern Pathway Costs Blowout


The $785m cycle bridge is ridiculous and shows the government is out of touch.

There are so many areas where this scale of investment could help - such as in health or education. This is not the time to spend money on vanity projects. Costs have blown out - and let's not pretend that $785m will be the final figure.

Let's bring forward the construction of the second Harbour crossing with road and rail to ease congestion and help productivity.

Vaccinations Falling Behind

Our vaccination campaign is continuing to fall behind and by next week our supply will drop to 'almost zero'. Many Kiwis are at risk of not being vaccinated until 2022 - far behind the rest of the globe.

The COVID-19 case in Wellington last week reminds us of the threat of an unvaccinated population. Auckland has seen the damage of yo-yoing in and out of lockdown.

We're last in the OECD and certainly not "at the front of the queue" as Labour has long proclaimed.

Water Quality Public Meeting


We had a tremendous turnout to our public meeting on water quality in our area. Thank you to our expert panel for bringing your perspective. We had robust exchanges and locals enjoyed hearing details from Watercare on future proposals to address pollution.

We must protect our beaches and waterways for coming generations by working together to implement solutions. Swimmable beaches are a bottom line, it’s unacceptable that raw sewage is flowing into our local beaches. Thank you to everyone who came out and made your voices heard.

Catch up with North Shore Principals

Recently I hosted a catch up with North Shore school principals, discussing the challenges and opportunities for education locally. It was great to have National's Education spokesperson Paul Goldsmith along to hear their concerns and share National's vision for education. We're so fortunate to have such passionate principals leading the charge in our area.

Our schools are producing the next generation of leaders and innovators, and we can boast their incredible success in academic, sport, and cultural activity. But, we must not be complacent. I’m committed to ensuring they have the resources to support their students and continue creating opportunity for our young people.

Minister has NO answers on Health Workforce Crisis


I questioned Andrew Little about what he’s doing to fix the critical shortages in our health workforce. Sadly, he had no answers, just excuses.

He was quick to show off his nearly half a billion dollar health restructure, but when I asked how many new nurses and doctors that would deliver, he wasn’t able to say. This government is more interested in shuffling deck chairs with health restructures than delivering support to our understaffed health sector.

Our nurses are struggling due to staff shortages, and many are leaving for Australia or leaving the profession entirely. National will keep pushing for action because they deserve better.

Upcoming Events

SuperBlues Morning Tea with Nicola Grigg MP


We have Nicola Grigg, MP for Selwyn, as a special guest for our SuperBlues morning tea this Friday 2 July. This is a monthly social club for locals aged 60+ to discuss politics and current affairs.

When: Friday 2 July, 10am - 11.30am
Where: Milford Bowling Club, 20 Commodore Parry Rd
Entry: $5pp cash payment at the door
Bring extra cash for the raffle!
RSVP by end of today to [email protected] or by phone 021 940 910

Crime Public Meeting


We're hosting a public meeting on crime locally in Belmont on Monday 12 July. Come hear from National's Police Spokesperson Simeon Brown as we offer National's tough alternative approach to Labour's soft hand.

When: Monday 12 July, 7pm
Where: The Rose Centre, School Rd, Belmont
Facebook Event: Click here

Remember, my office is here to help! Contact us on 09 486 0005 or [email protected]. Or, visit our Electorate Office at 1 Earnoch Ave, Takapuna!