This month marks two years since you chose me to be your MP for North Shore. I am still incredibly grateful and humbled and will continue to work tirelessly to represent the people of our community to the best of my ability.

The last two years have flown by, and I am now very concerned, like most, that our country is heading in the wrong direction and that, more than ever, we need a National-led government in 2023.

I will keep fighting for the North Shore and value your continued support.

Christopher Luxon visits the North Shore

It was great to welcome National Party Leader Christopher Luxon to the North Shore and take him to visit some of the locals. The North Shore is a pretty special place, and I know he had a great time. 

We stopped by Elizabeth Dairy, owned by Nimesh and his wife Priti and their son Khush; recently, I've come to know Nimesh well. Times have been tough for them as they were recently victims of a senseless ram raid. Nimesh took some time to tell his story to Christopher Luxon and me. All the best to you and your family, Nimesh. We'll keep fighting for the return to a safer New Zealand.

We also caught up with 109-year-old Connie Trewern. Connie is New Zealand's second oldest person, although you wouldn't pick it with her energy and sense of humour. She's also the oldest owner of a TAB account. How good!

Putting outcomes first with Social Investment

Last week National announced our social investment policy, which will be the organising framework for the next National Government’s approach to the funding and delivery of social services. Increases in crime, thousands of kiwis on the state housing waitlist and, as announced this week, just 34% of kiwi kids able to pass the government's writing standard show us the status quo isn't working and that we need to be taking a fundamentally different approach.

National’s Social Investment approach will identify, fund and scale up the actions that will have the most positive impact on people in the long run. It will make use of sophisticated data and evaluation approaches to identify what works and, crucially, what doesn’t. A new Social Investment Fund will support this bold new approach to delivering social services. The Social Investment Fund will invest in programmes that promise to change the lives of New Zealanders with the greatest needs. It will start small and scale up over time.

The government would provide initial funding through the Budget process. It would be topped up yearly, including by redeploying funding from government initiatives that may have received disappointing social impact evaluations.

National is relentlessly focused on outcomes, and I'm proud to be part of a team that puts solutions on the table. There are real challenges facing Kiwis right now, particularly our most vulnerable. Still, I've never been more optimistic that with a National government, we will turn around our country.

Working in the community

Over the last two years, I've met and helped people across the North Shore from all walks of life. The time spent in the community highlights the privilege of being a member of Parliament.

Whether hosting monthly SuperBlues or visiting AUT nursing and physiotherapy students and understanding their ambitions, it's always a pleasure to be out and about.

A few highlights from this month include attending the Sir Wayne "Buck" Shelford National Tribute at Westlake Boys in Takapuna - a genuinely inspiring New Zealander. I also spoke to the Milford Rotary Club on New Zealand's issues, including the cost of living crisis and National's plans for what lies ahead.

My office and I are also here to help. Please don't hesitate to reach out or book an appointment at my office in Takapuna. You can get in touch at [email protected] or by calling 09 486 0005.

Setting the record straight on Three Waters

Will my rates go up without Labours' Three Waters reform?

To sell their broken reforms, Labour has been telling New Zealand that your rates will increase if their reforms aren't adopted. This simply is not true. Instead, these claims assume a do-nothing alternative. They are based primarily on the Scottish water industry analysis that is highly disputed by Local Councils and independent experts. Independent research shows that with sensible changes to Council funding and financing, the sector can make the required investment in water infrastructure without increasing water charges.

Labour's co-governed, four mega-entity models will add extra layers of bureaucracy and confiscate local assets, which would only drive up costs.