Watts Happening June 2022
Simon Watts 
June 17, 2022
It's been a busy few weeks on the North Shore and down in Wellington. National has been championing the issues most important to our community, particularly the increase in crime and the cost of living crisis.
These are huge challenges for the country, but I've never been more confident with focused action and proper leadership, we can chart a path out of the problems we face.
Email: [email protected]
Ph: 09 486 0005
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Government steamrolls local communities with Three Waters
last week, the government finally brought their Three Waters legislation to Parliament and it was debated for the first time. As National's Local Government Spokesperson, I led the debate for the opposition. It's clear some changes are needed to make sure our water infrastructure delivers, but what's also clear is Labour's divisive and ineffective reforms are not the solution to the problems we face.
I raised the concerns of communities, and the objections of the councils opposed to these reforms, including Auckland Council. Local Government is opposed to these reforms because they know accountability is key to outcomes, and Labour's mega-entities won't achieve that. I also raised the yet-to-be-proven financial benefits. Sadly, none of the questions that hang over these reforms have been answered, and Labour has doubled down on their commitment to overrule the objections of communities and go ahead with their reforms.
There is a better way, and National would repeal and replace these broken reforms. We would work with the Local Government sector, not against them, and find real solutions to water infrastructure issues.
National's plan to back Police and tackle gangs.
We’ve had an unprecedented increase in criminal activity in Auckland and throughout the country, in the last 5 years gang members have almost doubled, violent crime is up and our businesses are terrorised by ram-raids. Business owners on the North Shore tell me robberies are a near weekly occurrence, their livelihoods are destroyed and many are subjected to violence.
We need solid action. National this week released our plan:
1 – Banning gang patches and insignia in public
This occurs already in government buildings like hospitals and courts. National would extend these rules to every public space.
2 – Stopping gang members gathering in public
Police will have the power to issue Dispersal Notices to anyone they reasonably suspect of being a gang member or gang prospect.
3 – Stopping gang offenders associating with each other
Gang crimes don’t just happen; they are coordinated and planned. Police will be able to issue Consorting Prohibition Notices if they need to in order to stop known gang offenders from committing serious offences.
4 – Stopping gang members from accessing guns
National will give Police the power to issue Firearms Prohibition Orders. These could be issued against any gang member who in the last 10 years has been convicted of a serious offence and would make it illegal for that person to access firearms or enter certain premises where firearms are present.
National will be tough on crime and its causes, we will bring back confidence in the safety of our communities and back our Police Officers.
Watch Christopher Luxon's speech on our plan to tackle crime here
Call 111 in Emergencies.
Use 105.police.govt.nz or call 105 to report situations that don’t require immediate Police or Emergency Services attendance.
Working with our Schools
We all know that education is the best way to open doors and unlock opportunities for our young people. Only by equipping our children for the challenges of the 21st Century can we continue to compete economically and socially on the world stage.
Kids can only learn when they’re actually in class. Under this government, our truancy crisis has become overwhelming. Throughout New Zealand, fewer than 60 per cent of students currently attend regularly.
It was fantastic to catch up with local School Principals on the Shore with National's Education spokesperson and MP for East Coast Bays, Erica Stanford. The standards set by the schools on the North Shore are world class but there's always more we can do to support them and other schools in the country to help our young people gain the skills they need.Bringing discipline back to the economy
Sadly, the cost of living crisis facing families in New Zealand is getting worse. Statistics released this week show the price of food has risen 6.8% between 2021 and May this year. That’s up from an annual increase of 6.4% in April. Fruit and vegetables saw the biggest price hike, up 10% over the past 12 months. Families across the country are finding it increasingly difficult to put food on the table under this government.
This government is addicted to spending, which has driven inflation to a 30-year high, delivering record new spending in the Budget at a time when we need discipline and a relentless focus on outcomes, not just money spent.
The government should adopt National’s five-point plan to fight inflation - refocus the Reserve Bank on price stability, stop adding unnecessary costs to businesses and employers, reduce the bottlenecks that are holding back growth, including addressing labour shortages, restore discipline to government spending and inflation-adjust tax brackets to increase Kiwis’ disposable incomes.
As a member of National's Finance team and with a career in investment banking, I'm working hard to develop policy and hold this government to account for this cost of living crisis.
Unlocking New Zealand with Infrastructure
Auckland is not only our most populous city but a key economic pipeline, cargo and goods pass through Auckland fuelling every part of the country. Key infrastructure projects like a second harbour crossing aren’t only beneficial for Auckland, they’re good for the entire country.
Our approach to infrastructure must be looking decades in advance, determining where our opportunities are and where we expect growth to occur. National is the party of infrastructure, and we’ve made critical investments from roads of national significance to ultrafast broadband, and we’ll keep doing that.
There are lots of pieces to the puzzle, and our Infrastructure team, led by Chris Bishop has been working hard visiting key players and working closely with the sector. There's a huge appetite and potential for infrastructure development, we just need a government with the skill and leadership to unlock those opportunities.
Working in our Community
Whether it's hosting a packed-out meeting on revitalising the Hauraki Gulf or talking to some of our incredible local businesses about how I can advocate for them, the highlight of every week as an MP is getting out in the community.
Our community is incredibly special. When I'm working for you as your MP, I see the enormous potential for growth which is why I'm so focused on our key local issues like conserving our environment and unblocking congestion points like Lake Road which are holding us back.
Every week my office and I help people with issues whether it's helping them get the support they need or bringing issues to the attention of Ministers or the authorities.
We're here to help, so if you need assistance give us a call on 09 486 0005 or an email at [email protected]. My North Shore Electorate Office is located at 1 Earnoch Avenue, Takapuna.
Events
North Shore SuperBlues with Nicola Willis
Bluegreens Forum
Saturday 20 August from 8.30am-5pm at the Beca Offices, 21 Pitt Street, Auckland
North Shore Business Breakfast with Erica Stanford
We are here to help
You can email me and my North Shore constituency office team, at [email protected]
You can also call Miriam to book an appointment at 09 486 0005.
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