Louise Upston MP - Speech

Speech to Taupo World Health Accredditation Safety Accreditation

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:42:00 +1200

It is a real honour to stand here today as the Member of Parliament for Taupo and see Taupo receive accreditation as an International Safe District.

I’d like to acknowledge Dr Caroline Coggan, director of Safe Communities Foundation NZ and Mayor Rick Cooper. I’d like to thank the Representatives here from the World Health Organisation, Lakes District Health Board, ACC and the Police. It is wonderful for Taupo to be recognised on this scale.

The Taupo District Council has done a lot of fantastic work towards this accreditation from setting up learn to swim classes, REAP and teaching our young children road safety.

The recent Segways gifted to Police also show Taupo’s dedication to keeping our community safer.

In my maiden speech in Parliament, 18 months ago I talked about law and order and creating safer communities, and it is a real privilege to represent a town that puts so much time and energy into creating a safe environment for everyone.

As an MP I take a lot of inspiration from the Taupo community. Taupo residents are always willing to lend a hand and get behind important causes. From sporting events like the Cycle Challenge and the Great Lake Relay to the recent ERUPT Arts and cultural festival you know it is going to be a success with the power of the Taupo community behind it.

Throughout NZ and the world Taupo is regarded as a great travel destination, and this accreditation only boosts our image. It is great to know that we are recognised as a safe destination for national and international tourists.

This accreditation is an acknowledgement to everyone that has a passion for making Taupo a great place to live and visit. I would also like to acknowledge the police for their continued hard work. Your presence in and around Taupo does not go unnoticed.

This is a great accolade for Taupo and I congratulate the Council on their hard work in gaining this accreditation, congratulations.

Speech to Cambridge Connections Community Directory Launch

nospam@example.com (admin) — Mon, 24 May 2010 16:55:00 +1200

24th May 2010
It is wonderful to see so many familiar faces and meet other members of the Cambridge community. For those of you who won’t know me, I am Louise Upston, the Member of Parliament for Taupo. I was elected in 2008 and have well and truly found my feet in the political world. I live here in Cambridge with my husband Craig and three children. It is an absolute pleasure to be here tonight to celebrate the launch of the ‘Cambridge Connections’ Health and Social Services community Directory.

Healthcare has always been important here in Cambridge. A few months ago I attended the opening of the new and improved Cambridge Medical centre and it is great to carry on that support for health tonight.

I would like to extend a big thank you and congratulations to Hannah Cleland. I am always delighted to see members of the community getting involved with issues that interest them and I think I speak for everyone here in saying you have done the Cambridge community a wonderful service in producing this directory. Hannah has developed the ‘Cambridge Connections’ directory after research towards her Clinical Psychology degree showed a lack in easily available mental health services information for health service providers.

Mental Health services throughout NZ are continuing to improve. Having a directory that opens communication and improves networking between support providers and the community will mean faster and more efficient care for those who need it. As an MP, it is important that my staff and I have access to information that can help constituents and we will be able to use this directory efficiently.

I want to quickly outline the importance of mental healthcare for the Government also. Health Minister Tony Ryall announced that funding to mental health services will increase by $40 Million over the next four years. In addition, it is expected that DHBs will allocate $174 million to mental health services from the extra funding they received from Budget 2010 released last week.

Local Cambridge organisations have also really got behind Hannah and the directory by offering moral and financial support to get the project to the printers and into the community, and that is something we can all be proud of.

The work that your organisations do here in Cambridge does not go unnoticed and I thank you for your hard work.

Congratulations again Hannah, your dedication to this project is much appreciated. I wish you all the best with your final years of study.

Speech to NZ Institute for Highway Technology

nospam@example.com (admin) — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:35:00 +1200

Speech to New Zealand Institute for Highway Technology

Welcome address

Monday 10 May 2010

Introduction

Good morning – it is great to be here on behalf of Transport Minister Steven Joyce to welcome you to the ‘Paving The Way For Greener Roads’ conference 2010 .

While Steven was disappointed he was unable to attend, he sends his best wishes for what will no doubt be a very enlightening and enjoyable conference here in Taupo.

Roading is very topical in Taupo at the moment with construction of the East Taupo Arterial (ETA). The highway is really starting to take shape. We have four major bridges, a road with chip seal, road signage plus the first street lights are being installed. These are significant milestones for the ETA Chip sealing in the southern zone has commenced and 8km of the ETA has now been sealed with the majority of the main alignment expected to be completed before the depths of winter.

225 pre-cast concrete slabs have been positioned on the Waikato River Bridge and 288m3 of concrete (58 truck loads) was poured creating a 250mm thick bridge deck, and the last of 14 sections of the 440m Wairakei Steam Field Bridge has been put in place. It really is an impressive project.

Over the next few days you will have the opportunity to discuss and debate a range of road building issues. The theme of this year’s conference is ‘protecting our future’, which is fitting.

As we look to develop transport networks that respond to ever increasing demands for efficiency and value for money balancing this with the need for environmental and social responsibility for future generations will always be something to consider carefully.

I’m on the Local Government and environment Select Committee. We have passed legislation to simplify and streamline the Resource Management Act. As we have further RMA and local government reforms I understand the tension between economic growth and environmental protection.

Before I hand over to today’s keynote speaker, Professor Andrew Dawson from Nottingham University, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about the government’s vision for New Zealand’s road network and how we can ensure we develop it in a sustainable way.

Government investment

New Zealand is certainly a country where a lot of thought needs to go into finding innovative transport solutions to overcome the challenges of being a small population living in a long, thin and (I’m sure many people here would agree) often geographically challenging country to build roads in.

Despite these challenges the roading network is the core of New Zealand’s transport system. Eighty-four percent of journeys to work in urban areas are by car, truck or motorbike and 70 percent of freight tonne-kilometres are carried by road.

Over the next 25 years the amount of freight moved around the country is forecast to increase by 70 to 75 percent. While all transport modes will carry their share, the nature of freight means that a lot of it will be carried by road. Therefore we need to be in a position to cope with that demand.

The government’s overall focus in transport is to support New Zealand’s economic growth by getting our goods to market as efficiently as possible.

The movement of freight in particular plays a vital role in sustaining and supporting economic development and contributes to the high quality of life New Zealanders enjoy. As I’ve just mentioned, the freight sector is an essential part of this - linking areas of production to ports from where goods are sent to our export markets.

An efficient freight industry can provide cost-effective forms of transport, improving the overall competitiveness of New Zealand exports. Some goods are more suited to road transportation, some to rail and some to coastal shipping; however the reality is that to achieve this efficiency we need all our transport corridors operating effectively.

The government has increased funding for State highways by more than $1 billion over the three year period from 2009 to 2012 and lifted investment in State highways to 35 percent of the total National Land Transport Fund. This will see almost $11 billion invested over 10 years.

This refocusing of investment priorities has also fed in to the development of the government’s seven Roads of National Significance.

The roads are centred around New Zealand’s five largest population centres that have large traffic volumes, and each is critical to ensuring that users have access to significant markets and areas of employment.

All need work to reduce congestion, improve safety and support economic growth and it is the government’s goal to see these projects substantially completed within 10 years.

This investment in the Roads of National Significance and the broader state highway network will go a long way to addressing some important issues for New Zealand’s land transport infrastructure. In particular this will mean improved journey time reliability on key routes, less congestion in those areas with serious problems, upgrades to important freight and tourism routes, and improved access to markets, employment and areas that contribute to economic growth.

Planning is another area where the government can significantly influence the sustainability of the transport network.

In March the Transport Minister announced the development of a new state highway classification system. This classification system will guide future investment and management of the roading network.

It will involve categorising State highways based on the volume of traffic they carry and the function they perform - whether that's the movement of freight, everyday travel or tourism.

The end goal is for this system to help ensure that our planned state highway investment and operational activities are aligned to helping routes better perform their function, help improve safety and support economic growth and productivity, all within the available funding budget.

Sustainable must also mean safe. This year the government launched Safer Journeys – a road safety strategy for the next ten years. The strategy identifies roads and road sides as one of the key aspects of the transport system where we can make improvements to save lives and this will be taken into account in the classification system.

Taking this bigger picture view is vital if we are to achieve a longer term vision for transport in New Zealand. Infrastructure such as this provides a foundation for a wide range of economic and social services that affect all New Zealanders and businesses. But we also need to get it right because infrastructure assets typically have long lives and often involve large investments.

Making good decisions on infrastructure use and investment now will play a key part in our future economic success.

Government responsibility

Finally I want to touch briefly on some of the specific actions the government is taking to make the roading network more sustainable.

As the owner of the state highway network on behalf of the taxpayer, the government has a responsibility not only to build and maintain these roads, but also to manage and mitigate the environmental impacts of the thousands of kilometres of highway that run the length and breadth of the country.

The New Zealand Transport Agency is directly responsible for the roading network and manages over 4,000 consents – more than any organisation in New Zealand.

Managing the environmental issues associated with the scale of this work requires a broad approach across many disciplines; such as managing relationships, contracts, and experts.

Two of the most important pieces of legislation that set the agenda for this work are the Resource Management Act and the Land Transport Management Act.

The RMA ensures the promotion of sustainable management of natural and physical resources and requires avoiding, remedying or mitigating any adverse effects of activities on the environment.

The LTMA requires land transport activities to contribute to an affordable, integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable land transport system. In addition to this the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Funding lists: ‘reductions in adverse environmental effects from land transport’ as one of the impacts we need to achieve in the transport sector.

The NZTA’s Environmental Plan describes how environmental impacts are avoided, remedied or mitigated across the transportation lifecycle from planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation.

Twelve environmental issues that arise from roading projects have been identified by this plan. These range from noise and air quality issues to the management of erosion and sediment, culture and heritage considerations and the impacts of vibration and visual quality.

Some of these subjects will be covered in later workshops so I will just touch briefly on managing some of these impacts now.

Noise is the most common public health issue associated with land transport development. To help mitigate against this the NZTA, in collaboration with Standards NZ, has developed road traffic noise standard guidance documents and web based tools for road builders.

Transport derived air quality is also of increasing concern. Every month the NZTA assesses transport related air quality across the entire State highway network to ensure people are not exposed to unacceptable levels.

The Agency has produced a national environmental standard for the treatment of stormwater run off from State highways in cooperation with regional councils and the Ministry for the Environment. Related to this is erosion and sediment control - the biggest environmental issue for capital projects. A national standard for this will be discussed in later sessions.

Social severance remains a significant problem as highways become more and more developed. Keeping communities connected is an important part of mitigation and on the occasions where a site of cultural significance is found NZTA works closely with the local iwi and Historic Place Trust to ensure they are managed appropriately.

Conclusion

In closing I wish you the very best for the rest of your conference. The programme of speakers and workshops will no doubt provide plenty of food for thought over the following days.

Thank you.

Speech to Taupo Volunteer Fire Fighters Awards Dinner

nospam@example.com (admin) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 19:04:00 +1200

Louise Upston MP

Speech to Taupo Fire Service, Volunteers Unit Awards

10 April 2010

Thank you Steve (Giles) for that lovely introduction and for the invitation to share this evening with you. I am delighted to be here to share your awards celebration with you and it’s great to be able to acknowledge the valuable work you do in our community. Assistant Area Manager Nigel Richards has summed up the work you do very accurately. The NZ Fire Service awards reflect the hard work and dedication you give to benefit the community.

There is a line on the Volunteer firefighter website that is a wonderful description of what volunteer firefighters are. It says:

“People who care about their communities and want to be actively involved in them”

In so many cases it is the fire brigade that is central to representing the ideals of a community while also maintaining their safety.

In 1854 the first New Zealand fire brigade was formed in Auckland and the Brigade formally began in 1860, this makes it one of the oldest organisations in the country.

Volunteers are still an essential part of our fire services.

Many community services only survive because of volunteers who freely give their time; I thank those of you tonight who do this. Your contributions enrich our community, make us more resilient and help define the character of our nation.

It is not only you who serves the community, but also the families that allow you do this special voluntary work. Thank you to your families.

Fire Brigades have a special uniqueness. There are not many groups that require their volunteers to put down their pens, tools or children, day or night, and rush off to put themselves in danger to protect others.

Yet this is exactly what many of you here do.

I’ve visited fire brigades around my electorate and I’ve always been hugely impressed at the dedication and work ethic of volunteers.

I also would like to acknowledge the invaluable services that the career firefighters provide the Taupo community.

Being involved in your local brigade also brings personal benefits. It gives you skills that can be applied elsewhere.

You gain experience in disciplined teamwork, leadership and the ability to literally make life and death decisions under pressure. These are valuable skills in their own right, and I’m sure are valued by employers.

I wish to acknowledge employers tonight because they can be very understanding when you are required to dash off.

While I’m told that volunteer firefighter numbers are holding up, pressures are growing on volunteers’ time across the whole community.

Staffing volunteer stations with people who can respond within 5 minutes of an incident can be tough to comply with. Compliance may become even more difficult in the future.

Changing demographics, work patterns and continual training requirements, amongst other affairs, all place demands on volunteers.

This is a common concern around the world and there are no easy solutions.

This is why the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon Nathan Guy, has asked the Fire Service Commission to continue to pay particular attention to actively supporting and sustaining the volunteer firefighter base. We know how crucial volunteer firefighters are to Fire Brigades around New Zealand, especially in smaller communities.

The links that the Fire Service has in the community are valued, and your ongoing contribution to fire fighting is appreciated by the Taupo community and all those whose lives you save every day.

I thank you again for the selfless work you do in our communities and enjoy your evening.

2009 Speeches

nospam@example.com (admin) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:54:11 +1300

23 November 2009 Speech to Local Government Information Management Association

6 November 2009 Tokoroa Business Excellence Awards November 09

30 October Tongariro/Rangipo Prison Awards Ceremony

9 October 2009 - Roto-o-rangi School Multi Purpose Room Official Opening

8 October 2009 - Speech To Town and Country Putaruru Dinner Club

03 September - Speech to Cambridge Rotary Club September

29 August - Key Note Speech to Taupo BPW 40th Anniversary

17 August - Speech to Taupo Hospital and Health Society AGM August

12 August - Turangi Nolunteers Fire Fighters Honours Night

28 June - Lake Taupo Accommodation Association AGM Dinner Speech

Cambridge Medical Centre Opening

nospam@example.com (admin) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 15:44:00 +1300

Louise Upston Speaking notes for Official Open the Cambridge Medical Centre

Saturday 20^th March 2009

48 Alpha Street

Cambridge

Hello and welcome to the official opening of the Cambridge Medical Centre. Thanks Claire for that lovely introduction.

It is wonderful to see so many familiar faces and meet other members of the Cambridge community. For those of you who won’t know me, I am Louise Upston, the Member of Parliament for Taupo. I was elected in 2008 and have well and truly found my feet in the political world. I live here in Cambridge with my husband Craig and three children.

I am delighted to be here to help celebrate the official opening of the new and improved Cambridge Medical Centre. This development, which started in December 2008, means that Cambridge medical care is in safe hands, even as our population of the area increases.

One of the things I love about Cambridge is the sense of community, which is evident here to day. Thank you to the centre for opening your doors so we can tour the new facilities.

The Centre has been a part of the community since 1981, so many of you here would have spent a bit of time here at one stage or another, including myself and my family.

I would like to extend my thanks to the doctors, nurses and support staff here at the Medical centre for your hard work and dedication.

This Medical Centre is a reflection on the importance of healthcare in Cambridge. Having the pharmacy, pathlab, Triton Hearing clinic and other medical specialists on site means treatment through this facility will be efficient and easier for sick patients and their families. I understand the pressures on mums and dads with sick children, and having a one stop shop to get seen by a medical professional and pick up prescriptions makes all the difference in caring for our littlies.

Speech to Environmental Health Conference

nospam@example.com (admin) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:48:00 +1300

Thank you for inviting me here to speak at your conference opening.
I would like to start by acknowledging Taupo District Council Chief Executive Rob Williams, National Executive Director Ivan Nicholson, National President Carole Simpson and Centre President Carroll Vaughan. Both Central and local government have important roles in protecting the public’s health and enabling quality living.

One of my own objectives in being a Member of Parliament is to improve the quality of life of the people I represent, the people of Taupo. This weekend the Great Lake Relay was held here in Taupo. Teams of up to 18 people walked or ran 155 km around the lake. I am proud to say I put my own body on the line supporting another great Taupo event. My team was made up of staff, friends, and family including my 12 year old son. The event had people of all ages and stages, shapes and sizes participate. There are many ways of enabling quality living. Yesterday, as my team members staggered and groaned, I just had to remind them being part of the MP’s team was for a good cause.

Response to Swine Flu – Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009

I know that one of the topics that will be discussed at this conference is Pandemic Response, so I wish to touch upon the Swine Flu Pandemic that affected New Zealand last year.

Last year on 25 April swine flu landed in New Zealand. The virus had infected some members of a group of secondary school students from Rangitoto College returning from a school trip to Mexico. My ears pricked up when I heard the news because I was a student at Rangitoto College.

Our Public health officials quickly identified the significant potential threat and within 48 hours we had activated out National Pandemic Plan, and set up the National Health Coordination centre. New Zealand was the first country in the world to report importation of the swine flu.

Most New Zealanders would say we were prompt and effective in containing and delaying the spread of swine flu.

There were encouraging signs that the basic public health message such as staying home when sick, covering coughs and sneezes and regular hand-washing, helped to lessen the pandemic’s impact.

These interventions were practical and sensible, but were also based on careful planning, both within the health system and with other sectors. But let us not forget that the pandemic did take its toll.

While some regions experienced significantly more pressures than other, overall we were fortunate that the virus was relatively mild, although sadly, in a few cases it was tragic. This pandemic has given us a clear indication of our capacity and capability, and areas where there are opportunities to improve.

We don’t know how many New Zealanders contracted the virus in the first wave. Because it was mostly mild, many people cared for themselves at home while others may have been infected but had no obvious symptoms. The Ministry of Health estimate between 10 and 25 percent of New Zealanders have been ill with swine flu.
Our Health officials advise at least 50 percent of a population needs to be infected to provide sufficient community immunity.

So, there is likely to be a significant proportion of the population that have not been exposed to the current strain of swine flu and will still be susceptible to swine flu in the future.

This information will greatly aid our ability to plan for our future responses including vaccination strategies.

Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart

Around 860,000 of New Zealand homes are cold and damp because they are inadequately insulated. More than a quarter of people who live in these houses are on low or fixed incomes.

We have responded and on 1 July last year, National introduced the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart scheme. We have invested of $323.3 million to help more than 180,000 cold and damp New Zealand homes install insulation over the next four years; this Government hopes to have up to 60,500 homes insulated each year by 2012/13.

The scheme is open to all houses built before 2000, regardless of household income. All households are eligible for a grant of up to a third of the cost insulating a house, up to a maximum of $1300, as well as a $500 grant towards an approved clean-heat device such as a wood burner or heat pump.

The Government recognises the limited ability of low income households to afford the upfront capital costs of insulation and heating devices, and within the scheme we have “ring-fenced” a certain number of houses each year for residents with Community Services cards. Insulation and clean heating is likely to be most effective in these houses.

Provisional data at the end of January showed 3975 homes were serviced during the month and since July 2009, when the scheme started, 30,003 households throughout New Zealand have taken advantage of the opportunity to warm up their homes.

Here in the Waikato, 2822 homes alone have taken up the opportunity to improve their homes insulation and in turn help improve their health.

The benefits of a warmer, drier and healthier home have been outlined by the World Health Organisation who recommend that living rooms should be heated between 18 and 20 degrees celsius. The average temperature in New Zealand living rooms is just less than 16 degrees.

A recent investigation in New Zealand studied the effects of installing insulation in houses and found that insulating costs houses resulted in reductions in:
• reports of poor health and wheezing
• sick days taken off from school or work
• visits to GPs and hospital admission for respiratory conditions
• heating costs

Last year I visited several homes that had been insulated as part of this scheme with Minister for the Environment Nick Smith. One very memorable visit for me was to a home here in Taupo. It was home to a “P” baby. His mother is a P addict and had taken drugs throughout her pregnancy. She delivered her twins prematurely. One baby died shortly after birth. The other had multiple disabilities including respiratory challenges and specialists did not expect him to survive.

His grandparents care for him and last year they had their home insulated and had heating devices installed. In this family’s case, the Warm Up Project was less about saving money on their power bills. It was all about saving money on doctor’s visits and the trips to the hospital.
Winter of 2008 this little boy had several trips a month to the doctor and several stays in hospital with severe respiratory problems. There has been a significant improvement in his health and a significant improvement in their quality of life.

With the cost of insulating a whole house costing the same as one night in a hospital, Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart is potentially one the most significant public health initiatives of the decade.

Protecting Lake Taupo
Lake Taupo is one of New Zealand’s treasures and is the heart of Taupo. Many New Zealanders and overseas tourists enjoy being able to go swimming in the lake, enjoy water sports and attempt to catch some our world famous trout.

However, the Lake’s health is declining due to the amount of nitrogen reaching it from rural land, urban sources and septic tank seepage. This affects the quality of the water that we enjoy swimming and playing in, but it also affects the ability of trout to feed, ultimately reducing their numbers which in turn affects recreation and the local economy.

We faced a rather bleak choice, whether we allow the Lake’s significant value to New Zealand and the world to gradually diminish, or whether we found ways to sustain both the health of the Lake and the viability of our surrounding community.

The decision to sustain the Lake was not only a choice from the decision makers, but also from the community. A survey in 2000 showed that 90% of the urban and 91% of the rural community believed that preserving the water quality of Lake Taupo was the most important issue for the region. Furthermore, 78% said that Lake Protection should occur ahead of development. My recent survey of constituents stated water quality in Lake Taupo as the most important environmental issue.

To just maintain the lake’s current water quality, we need to reduce the amount of nitrogen reaching the lake by 20%. This means we have to change the way that rural and urban land is managed.

Some of these changes include:
• Upgrades to sewerage systems around the Lake
• Changes to farming practices in the catchment
• Conversion of some grazed pastoral land to alternative low nitrogen land uses

Reducing the amount of nitrogen entering the Lake will be difficult. It will inevitably mean some changes to lifestyle and farming systems for many people who live and work in the catchment.

A total of $81.5 million has been allocated over the next 14 years to reduce manageable nitrogen levels into Lake Taupo and avoid further significant deterioration in lake water quality. The Government will fund 45% of this amount with the Taupo District Council and Environment Waikato collecting the remainder on an annual basis until 2018.

The Lake Taupo Protection Trust has been set up to manage the joint public fund. The Trust has been established as a Council Controlled Organisation and a joint inter-agency committee made up of representatives from Council, Environment Waikato, Central Government and Ngati Tüwharetoa, manage and monitor the work of the Trust.

The solution to maintaining the current water quality in Lake Taupo is to view the changes as an opportunity for innovative sustainable development.

The challenge is to make changes that support the economy of Taupo community, protect the assets of its people and move at a pace that can be accommodated by all parties.
Closing

Thanks for you allowing me to share in the opening of this conference. The work you do in environmental health is important to our community and to our country. Keep up the great work and enjoy your stay in Taupo.

Speech to Town Centre Taupo

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:28:00 +1300

Town Centre Taupo

After 5 at the Merchant

Thursday 28 January 2010

Thank you for inviting me here to speak to you tonight. It is great to see so many of you here at the first function for 2010. You can tell by the events Kylie has been talking about that 2010 will be a year of opportunities for businesses such as yours.

2009 meant you have faced challenges that many of you were not expecting with harsh economic conditions across the globe and here at home.

Resiliency developed and you have proven that your businesses have been able to adjust to the changing environment and come through the other side. Having owned and managed small businesses I understand how tough it can be when the business environment shifts unexpectedly.

As New Zealand emerges from recession National's focus for 2010 has firmly shifted towards significantly lifting the country's economic performance.

Economic growth matters because it creates jobs, lifts incomes, and improves the living standards of New Zealand families.

Only through lifting our economic growth can we close the gap with our trading partners and create new jobs to replace those lost during the recession.

Heading into 2010, we have a good platform.

Economic growth is stronger than expected and unemployment lower, thanks to a more stable global economy and this Government's success in managing New Zealand through the recession.

New Zealand is on the road to recovery, but we still face risks. Global growth may weaken again and there are multiple challenges in our own economy.

Unless we can create the right environment for New Zealand businesses to compete on the world stage, we will not achieve the sustained increase in incomes National aspires to.

We have identified six key areas as potential drivers of growth. They are:

· Investment in productive infrastructure - ETA

· Removing red tape and improving regulation – most businesses agree that there is room for improvement

· Supporting business innovation and trade

· Improving education and lifting skills – many of you will know this is my top priority

· Lifting productivity and improving services in the public sector

· And strengthening the tax system – recent Tax Working Group report

Here in Taupo there are challenges and opportunities ahead.

There has been a lot of discussion at local government level about the Commercial and Structure Plan – for and against. Remember that we are very lucky to live in a democracy and I encourage you to have your say.

Participate in the process and make a submission to Council. If you support the proposals, say so. If you have concerns about the proposals, say so.

I want to know your views on what we are doing as central government. I am your representative and it is my job to represent your views. Please don’t hesitate to call me, email me or pop in and see us at the office in Paora Hapi Street.

Taupo is the events capital.

I am looking forward to the Great Lake Relay on 20 February.

Keeping up with cycling too and doing the 100k Flyer with my husband Craig.

Aim to do 80 km in the Cycle Challenge this year.

Thanks for the opportunity to be here with you tonight and have a great 2010.

Tokoroa Business Excellence Awards November 09

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:17:06 +1300

Tokoroa Business Excellence Awards 6th November 2009

Good evening.

Thank you for the invitation to be here with you to celebrate the innovation and leadership of the businesses in and around Tokoroa.

I’d like to acknowledge Mayor Neil Sinclair. Neil is eternally optimistic, a real champion for this town and this district. To Jenny, from Classic Hits, Paula at South Waikato News and Ian at Carter Holt Harvey – thank you for your hard work and support for this event.

I would like to extend my congratulations to all the finalists here tonight; you can take great pride in your hard work. I have trained as a business excellence evaluator and so I know the commitment involved in entering business awards let alone being selected as a finalist.

Small business is the life blood of the New Zealand economy. I started my first business at age 19 and have had a wide range of business experience prior to entering Parliament. I understand the trials and triumphs of owning and running a business, big and small, and the challenges that many of you have overcome.

The locally owned and operated businesses are the heart of our nation. You are the people that prove over and over again the power of New Zealanders’ ‘kiwi ingenuity’ and our ‘can do’ attitude.

Local businesses provide the lifeblood of our communities. You are our employers, you are our educators, and you are our providers.

As you know, the scale and speed of the recession caught even the gloomiest forecasters by surprise.

Through this I am proud to see so many businesses persevering and many even continuing to grow.

I am proud to represent you as you do this.

And I am proud to be part of a Government that is committed to supporting businesses throughout this time.

Earlier this year we introduced a small businesses relief package to provide support for businesses around the country. This included a range of changes to make doing business easier, and a $480 million suite of tax cuts to stimulate the economy and put more money in everyone’s back pocket.
We also fast tracked half a billion dollars worth of infrastructure development, including improving our state highway network, upgrading our schools, and investing in faster, better broadband for all New Zealanders.

I am proud that the first New Zealand Cycle Trail will be launched by the Prime Minister John Key here in the South Waikato on Tuesday. This will provide many opportunities that our community needs to seize.

I thank you again for the opportunity to be here to celebrate your success, and I thank you for the contribution you’ve made to our community and to our nation.

There are exciting times ahead. Like John Key, I believe the best years are still ahead of us and I look forward to working with each of you going forward.

Speech to Local Government Information Management Association

nospam@example.com (admin) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:37:00 +1300

Louise Upston MP on behalf of the Minister for Communications and Information Technology

10.15-10.35am 23 November 2009
Graham Room, Bayview Wairakei Resort, State Highway 1, Wairakei, Taupo

ALGIM President Mike Wanden, international guests and delegates.

It’s a pleasure to be here today representing the Minister for Communications and ICT - Steven Joyce.

On his behalf I’d like to speak about government strategy for broadband and ICT, and also to discuss the important role that local government can play within that.

I am particularly pleased to be able to discuss this topic with a local government group with a focus on information technology who meet to share ideas and showcase innovation. Local government’s role is of critical importance in maximising the benefits we can gain from investment in broadband.

Before entering Parliament I worked in information management in local government. I was at Hamilton City Council for three and a half years, was connected to the Hamilton Urban Fibre Network and worked on a multimillion dollar telecom upgrade for a power company.

Broadband Investment

As the new government, we are aiming to develop a high performing economy that offers opportunity for our young people, security and prosperity for New Zealand families and a business environment conducive to investment and jobs.

It is for these reasons that our focus on broadband infrastructure has been so strong and our plans so bold.

Better broadband for New Zealanders will deliver increased productivity, enhance health and education services and improve our connections to international markets. It will give rise to new enterprise and innovation, giving us the competitive edge to prosper.

Independent experts have estimated these benefits to be worth between $2.4 billion and $4.4 billion per year to New Zealand.

A recent OECD study has concluded that investment in broadband provides more stimulus to an economy than any other form of infrastructure spending.

This Government has developed a plan to enhance broadband services in urban and rural areas.

We have committed to an investment of up to $1.5 billion over the next ten years to provide fibre-to-the-premise to 75% of New Zealanders. The focus in the first six years will be on priority users: schools, hospitals, businesses and local and central government.

This Ultra-fast broadband initiative has recently moved into an implementation phase following development of the policy in recent months.

The Government has released an invitation to participate calling for proposals from private sector investors for ultra-fast fibre-based broadband networks. The invitation to participate includes an innovative commercial model that attempts to overcome the major current barrier to private investment, uncertain demand.

A special purpose Crown owned company – Crown Fibre Holdings - has been formed to assess bids and invest with one or more partners to meet the 75% objective. Dr Murray Milner, a recently appointed a director of Crown Fibre Holdings is speaking later in the conference programme as is Ralph Chivers who has been working in the Ministry of Economic Development manager of broadband investment, and is now reporting to Crown Fibre Holdings.

The Government investment will be directed to open access, wholesale-only, passive fibre network infrastructure. We recognise that there is also a case for providing open access to lit fibre under some circumstances.

In simple terms, this is the most "raw" access to the underlying infrastructure, and provides the best potential competition outcomes because the wholesale customer has full control and flexibility. It means that the wholesale customer has maximum opportunity to innovate in downstream services. This approach is expected to lead to a step change in the markets for provision of access to fibre services, and making fibre available on a much more widespread basis than it is today.

Our rural policy will ensure that 93% of rural schools will receive fibre, enabling speeds of at least 100Mbps, with the remaining 7% to achieve speeds of at least 10Mbps through other technologies such as wireless and satellite.

Benefits for the wider rural community will be large, as school connections expand the core fibre network. This has been a specific design rationale for the initiative. The cost of the rural initiative is expected to amount to $300 million, and will be delivered through a mix of public and private sector funding.

Taken together, the urban and rural initiatives will mean that 97% of New Zealand schools and 99.7% of New Zealand students will have access to broadband speeds of 100Mbps or greater in the next six years.

Similarly, 97% of New Zealanders will be able to achieve broadband speeds from their homes and businesses of at least 5Mbps, with 91% having speeds greater than 10Mbps within six years.
Broadband Readiness

It is not enough to simply provide greatly enhanced broadband facilities.

If New Zealand is to gain full advantage from our investment in fibre networks we have to ensure that we are equipped to make effective use of it. The obvious place for the government itself to work towards this objective is where it is already making major investments in our future, through schools.

Our educational future must have young people at the centre of a digital system with access to educational content and research topic information. Students and educators must be connected to communities of learners and to parents and experts beyond the classroom. And to fully succeed, students must have access to timely assessments and feedback.

Schools connected to ultra-fast broadband will provide a critical initial base to anchor the development of the fibre network.

$150 million has been signalled to make more schools broadband-ready. This will enable the upgrading of internal networks within schools and work on a National Education Network.

Ultra-fast broadband will have a key role in increasing efficiency in the health sector and will provide opportunities to deliver healthcare smarter.

A key opportunity for the health sector to gain the most benefit is through the development of Integrated Family Health Centres - which are part of the move to shift some secondary health services to primary providers. These centres will comprise a range of clinical services, such as GPs, specialists, pharmacy and radiology under one roof.

The government also wants to ensure New Zealand has a skilled and productive workforce. A skilled and productive workforce - for today and the future - requires digitally literate people.

Improving digital literacy is one of our key priorities.

New Zealand has a number of initiatives where the private and public sectors are working together to advance basic digital literacy, such as Computers in Homes and Computer Clubhouse.

However important as basic computer literacy is, increasing our productivity also depends on ensuring that there is a greater level of specialist ICT skills in the workforce.

We are working with the ICT industry to promote ICT careers to school students and their parents, develop a mentoring programme to improve the ‘work readiness' of graduates, and ensure ICT courses offered by tertiary providers reflect the needs of the industry.

Local Government and Broadband

I’d like to turn now to talking about the key role that local government has in maximising the benefits New Zealand can gain from investing in broadband.

Local and central government goals are the same: we both want to see the deployment of broadband infrastructure in the way that most effectively benefits communities.

If we cooperate we will better and more efficiently achieve these goals. The funding that central government has set aside to invest in broadband (up to $1.5 billion investment for urban areas and $300 million of grants for rural) will go further if the costs of deployment are lowered.

There are four key ways that deployment costs can be lowered.

First is the opportunity to streamline authorisation and consenting processes for establishing broadband infrastructure on public land. Currently different Councils have different processes for authorising use of land, roads and assets under their control and for issuing consents under the Resource Management Act.

One of the most effective ways that Councils can facilitate the deployment of broadband infrastructure is to streamline these processes by, for example, identifying a single point of contact within Councils as a ‘one stop shop’ who can assist infrastructure builders through authorisation and consenting processes.

Second, we encourage Councils to keep an open mind about new deployment technologies like shallow and micro-trenching. We certainly acknowledge the need to protect roading assets but also note that these technologies can significantly reduce the cost of undergrounding fibre optic cables - meaning each broadband investment dollar goes further.

Third, many Councils own and operate assets that can potentially be leveraged to reduce the cost of deploying broadband. Examples include ducting and poles for traffic lights, lampposts and unused water mains.

Some of these assets could potentially be of enormous value in network deployment. If they are not made available equivalent support structures would need to be installed at significant cost by those constructing fibre networks in local communities. Furthermore, Council mapping of the location of their facilities would make it easier for fibre network planners.

Finally, and from quite a different perspective, some Councils are in a position to consider investment alongside the Crown themselves or through their subsidiaries. Others may have a role in coordinating or encouraging local groups to consider proposing to invest with the Crown. While it is important for the Crown to remain neutral towards all potential investors, interest from Councils is certainly welcome.

Conclusion

Let me conclude by restating how important the Government considers creating a step-change in broadband is to New Zealand’s future.

We were elected with a mandate to secure a brighter future for all New Zealanders and our plans in this area are central to that.

We know that local government shares our goals in helping New Zealanders harness benefits from our broadband investment, and we look forward to working with you in making this happen.

Tongariro/Rangipo Prison Awards Ceremony

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:19:00 +1300

Good afternoon everyone and congratulations to the Long Service Award recipients. I am delighted to be here today to join in your celebrations to recognise the dedication of your longest serving prison services staff from Tongariro/Rangipo Prison.

I am Louise Upston, MP for Taupo and I entered politics because I am passionate about New Zealand and I believe being a Member of Parliament is the ultimate public service - one where you can have an impact on the lives of ordinary New Zealanders. In your roles as staff who work for the Department of Corrections I think we share the ability to have that impact through the work that we do.

Today, your long serving staff are being recognised, these are staff who have worked continuously for the Department for 7, 14, 21, 28 and even 35 years. Considering the average New Zealander spends around 5 years with one employer your dedication is nothing less than extraordinary.

You all play an important role in making our community safer through the work you do which at its core is about making offenders comply with their sentences and working with them to reduce the chance of them re-offending. For this, you should all be very proud of your contribution and dedication to preserving the safety of our community. A community, that in my role as MP for I am very passionate about!

I don’t think anyone could say that the work you do is not challenging and I think it must take an extraordinary sort of person to work in this kind of environment.

Therefore, recognising staff who have demonstrated such dedication with ceremonies like the one today is incredibly important. Congratulations to all of you.

I can tell from the number of people attending today’s event in support that you are all highly regarded by your colleagues.

Which only leaves me to thank you, those receiving awards today. On behalf of the local community, thank you for the work you have done, and are continuing to do. You should be very proud of the hard work and dedication that has brought you here and thank you once again for inviting me to share in this event. I look forward to having the opportunity to meeting and talking with you after the award presentation.

Roto-o-rangi School Multi Purpose Room Official Opening

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:57:00 +1300

Thank you for inviting me here to speak to you today. I am thrilled to be with you to celebrate the opening of your new classroom.

I’d like to acknowledge your Principal Trevor Morris, teachers, Board of Trustees, parents and students. You have a fantastic school and it is great that it is growing.

Some of you will be aware that education is one of my priorities as a Member of Parliament. I am on the Education and Science Select Committee and am pleased to be part of a government which has Education as a top priority. I believe that a good start in life comes from a good education and provides better opportunities for the future.

National Standards will set clear expectations about what students should be able to achieve in literacy and numeracy and by when. Students’ performance against these standards will be reported to parents in plain language.

Parents want to know how well their children are doing and what they can expect when extra help is needed. This policy is about using existing assessment tools to provide feedback that supports student learning and teacher effectiveness. The sector has been working closely with the Minister about who needs access to what information.

My youngest children are at Karapiro School, which is about half the size of Rotorangi and my oldest boy Hamish is 11 and he attends Cambridge Middle School. Small rural schools are a important and distinctive feature of our schooling system and an important centre for your community.

There are issues that are particular to small schools – from the ones that you can’t change that come with being in small rural communities, to the ones that you can change.

There is a great willingness to work together and find ways around problems. I know from my children’s school the number 8 wire approach is alive and well in our rural schools.

One of the major issues for small and rural schools is that of recruiting and retaining staff. The government’s voluntary bonding scheme for graduate teacher shortages in hard-to-staff schools aims to boost teacher numbers in hard-to-staff areas, and will go some way towards addressing this issue. The scheme is expected to cost $19 million over 3 years.

Last year’s changes to rural bus transport have also been a challenge for many schools. The new Minister of Education requested a review into the Ministry of Education's 2008 school transport tender process. You were one of the schools that I met with you expressed concerns following the allocation of tenders.

The report shows the Auditor-General is satisfied the Ministry followed good business practice in tendering for and awarding school bus routes, and that safety was not compromised. There is still room for improvement in some schools and with the review behind us, we can work on these issues.

In closing, I want to thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.

Thank you to all those here today who have been part of creating this new classroom. With the work you are doing here we will have a brighter future.

Speech To Town and Country Putaruru Dinner Club

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:15:00 +1300

Thank you for inviting me here to speak to you tonight. I am thrilled to be with you tonight.

Although I have been to many dinners with this club many of you will not know my journey to parliament and I know many of you are curious about my first eleven months in the job.

For some of you this is the first time we have met and so I would like to spend a few minutes introducing myself to you.

My parents taught me that if you want to achieve anything in life you need to get stuck in and work hard. Life hasn’t always been plain sailing and I have learnt that if you are determined you can get over, round, under or through most challenges.

I have always been a goal setter. I believe in setting goals and working hard to achieve them. One of my goals was to become an MP by the time I was 40. I have achieved that goal, but have had to deal with some challenges along the way.

My professional background is in project management. I have extensive business experience and I started my first business at 19.

I have worked in a wide range of industries including telecommunications, information technology, education, tourism. I trained as a business excellence evaluator, have an international qualification in project manager and have an MBA from Waikato University. I live in Karapiro with my husband and 3 children Jessica, Mac and Hamish.

My main motivation in going into Parliament is education. Currently 1 in 5 children leave school unable to read, write and do maths. Well I think that is appalling and I am thrilled to now be on the Education Select Committee doing something about it.

The day after I was elected as the Member of Parliament for Taupo I set five goals:

To work hard locally and to build a reputation for getting things done.
To build a strong local office with a reputation for getting back to people and for solving problems;
To focus on the issues that matter and not on the personalities.
To work in partnership with local government and local agencies on wider community issues;
To learn the ropes in Parliament and to grow my skills to be a better Politician.

It is hard to believe that I have been in the job for ten months now. In that time I have set up electorate offices in Cambridge, Tokoroa and Taupo.

I have worked on hundreds of constituent cases from mortgage break fees, RMA, new business ideas, energy conservation, and advocated with government agencies such as WINZ, Housing NZ, the DHB, ACC and Pharmac.

There have also been some significant local issues such as maternity services, mental health, 1080, the Civil Defence emergency at Waihi to name a few.

Prime Minister John Key is a strong, decisive leader. He is focussed on what matters and what matters most at the moment is getting the economy on the right track. He is great with all sorts of people and when he could have any job in the world, or simply retire he picked the one where he could have the most impact on New Zealanders.

Parliament really is unlike any other place to work. It is hard to describe but another MP described entering parliament like this:

Imagine you are starting a new school as a third former (year 9), in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, you have no family, or friends and loads of enemies oh and just to top it off

Let me tell you about my first day in the house. Think of your first day at high school. I was excited, a bit nervous, but mostly excited and having to pinch myself that I really was an MP. Now one of the rules in parliament is that you cannot speak in the house until you make your maiden speech. If you say anything before that it will be recorded as your maiden speech.

I sat in my chair and the legislation being discussed was the Conservation (Protection of Trout as a Non-Commercial Species) Amendment Bill. All of a sudden the parliamentary bully from Labour started ripping into me. He was trying to get me to bait me and get me to speak knowing that anything I said would be recorded as my maiden speech. He called me a fraud.

So, I learnt on my very first day you have to stand your ground and not give in to bullies. It was a great lesson on my first day in the house.

Parliamentary sport. A month ago I played my first game of netball in 29 years. I played last weekend and unfortunately was up against at 6 foot something policeman in a dress. I tried to block him and came up second best with a sprained ankle. My husband Craig joined the parliamentary rugby team. I thought it would be like touch, but oh no. Here is a bunch of 30, 40, 50 and even 60 year olds playing like they were 20. Having fun? Well Craig dislocated his shoulder so he did not enjoy it much in the days immediately after.

Of first 100 days in Parliament – getting results

One of the advantages of being a government MP is being able to get things done!

When we went into parliament we had a specific agenda. It was what we campaigned on. When I look back at the first 100 days it is all a bit of a blur.

There were measures to improve the economy

Tax cuts
RMA reform
Reducing red tape

Law changes to make New Zealander safer with:

Tougher bail laws
We clamped down on gangs and drug trade
Introduced DNA testing
Created the victim compensation scheme

In Education

We passed laws for National Standards in literacy and numeracy
Started a programme of capital improvements worth $500 m
Introduced voluntary bonding for teachers who work in hard to staff schools as a way to write off student loans
Increased penalties for truancy

I want to talk about some of the work we have done in health and share with you one of the highlights.

One of my constituents is a solo mother who had breast cancer. She had used what little savings she had, borrowed from friends and family and fundraised like made to self fund Herceptin. She had come to the end of the line and had exhausted all avenues to fund further treatments. She was desperate and wanted to know if we were elected to Government how soon would her treatments be paid for. She was on the front page of the paper the first week into my new job! It was an amazing feeling for me when I was able to phone her to say Herceptin would be fully funded and effective from 19 November.

Support for families is important to me and I was thrilled when the government announced the fast tracking of funding for the 24 hour Plunketline and committed to providing longer stays for new mums in hospital. It is vital that we support new parents and get our precious new kiwis off to a great start.

In closing, I want to thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.

It is a privilege to be a Member of Parliament and one which I do not take lightly.

I am determined to continue to work hard for Taupo and for New Zealand.

I want my children and grandchildren to know that I had the courage to stand up and say I did my bit to make New Zealander a better country. I am determined to see New Zealand succeed. Like Prime Minister John Key, I believe our best years are ahead of us, not behind us.

With the work you are doing in our community we will have a brighter future.

Speech to Cambridge Rotary Club September

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:23:00 +1200

Thank you for inviting me here to speak to you tonight. Rotary Clubs up and down the country do such important work and I am thrilled to be with you tonight.

Last year I spoke to this Club. Tonight I will talk about my first ten months in the job.

For many of you this is the first time we have met and so I would like to spend a few minutes introducing myself to you.

My professional background is in project management. I have extensive business experience and I started my first business at 19.

The job so far…

The day after I was elected as the Member of Parliament for Taupo I set five goals:

To work hard locally and to build a reputation for getting things done.
To focus on the issues that matter and not on the personalities.
To build a strong local office with a reputation for getting back to people and for solving problems;
To work in partnership with local government and local agencies on wider community issues;
To learn the ropes in Parliament and to grow my skills to be a better Politician.

First Impressions….

It is hard to believe that I have been in the job for ten months now. In that time I have set up electorate offices in Cambridge, Tokoroa and Taupo.

There have also been some significant local issues such as maternity services, mental health, 1080, the Civil Defence emergency at Waihi to name a few.

Parliament really is unlike any other place to work. It is hard to describe but another MP described entering parliament like this:

So, I learnt on my very first day you have to stand your ground and not give in to bullies. It was a great lesson on my first day in the house.

Finding your way around is a major challenge. Particularly in the Beehive where the lifts all open into a circular foyer and you have to then orient yourself before figuring out which way to go.

During the first week, we had a dinner meeting in what used to be called Bellamys and I wanted to race back to my room to get my camera. I hoped in the lift and came face to face with Phil Goff who had just been made leader of the Labour Party. I introduced myself and congratulated him. He said Taupo – we got a bit of a hiding there didn’t we! Anyway he got out of the lift and I had no idea what floor I was going to. I did not know what floor I got in and did not know which floor to get out!

Early next year, Cambridge is host town for the parliamentary cricket. So you never know, I might be calling on you to play for a host Cambridge team!

Of first 100 days in Parliament – getting results

One of the advantages of being a government MP is being able to get things done!

When we went into parliament we had a specific agenda. It was what we campaigned on. When I look back at the first 100 days it is all a bit of a blur.

There were measures to improve the economy

Tax cuts
RMA reform
Reducing red tape

Law changes to make New Zealander safer with:

Tougher bail laws
We clamped down on gangs and drug trade
Introduced DNA testing
Created the victim compensation scheme

In Education

We passed laws for National Standards in literacy and numeracy
Started a programme of capital improvements worth $500 m
Introduced voluntary bonding for teachers who work in hard to staff schools as a way to write off student loans
Increased penalties for truancy

I want to talk about some of the work we have done in health and share with you one of the highlights.

One of the big challenges we are facing is the recession. The group being hit particularly hard are our young people aged 18 – 24. Numbers of the unemployment benefit for this age group has gone up from 4000 to 17000. On Monday I held a Job Opportunities forum and we discussed the initiatives announced recently by the PM. $152 million into a range of programmes. Community Max could be of interest to your Rotary Club. This is aimed at community organisations who create projects that benefit the community and they employ a young person.

The government funds that person at $12.50 per hour for 30 hours per week for 6 months. The sort of project is only limited by your imagination. One example would be to work on walkways or cycleways, town beautification initiatives, building work, website projects. If there are 4 young people, costs of a supervisor will also be covered.

Conclusion

In closing, I want to thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.

It is a privilege to be a Member of Parliament and one which I do not take lightly.

I am determined to continue to work hard for Taupo and for New Zealand.

With the work you are doing in our community we will have a brighter future.

Key Note Speech to Taupo BPW 40th Anniversary

nospam@example.com (admin) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:28:00 +1200

BPW 40^th Anniversary Speech

Thank you for inviting me here to speak to you tonight and help celebrate the 40^th Anniversary of Business and Professional Women. I am proudly a member of BPW here in Taupo and also in Cambridge and am honoured to be with you tonight.

I would like to acknowledge the presence of Deputy Mayor Christine McElwee, BPW NZ President Angela McLeod, 1^st Vice President Barbara and 2^nd Vice President Carolyn, BPW President for Taupo Pat Leith, BPW President for Cambridge Karen Nelson, former Presidents, members and guests.

Who I am

Last year I spoke to the Regional Conference about my journey to Parliament. Tonight I will talk about my first ten months in the job.

For many of you this is the first time we have met and so I would like to spend a few minutes introducing myself to you.

My professional background is in project management. I have extensive business experience and I started my first business at 19.

The day after I was elected as the Member of Parliament for Taupo I set five goals:

To work hard locally and to build a reputation for getting things done.
To focus on the issues that matter and not on the personalities.
To build a strong local office with a reputation for getting back to people and for solving problems;
To work in partnership with local government and local agencies on wider community issues;
To learn the ropes in Parliament and to grow my skills to be a better Politician.

It is hard to believe that I have been in the job for ten months now. In that time I have set up electorate offices in Cambridge, Tokoroa and Taupo.

There have also been some significant local issues such as maternity services, mental health, 1080, the Civil Defence emergency at Waihi to name a few.

Parliament really is unlike any other place to work. It is hard to describe but another MP described entering parliament like this

Imagine you are starting a new school as a third former (year 9), in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, you have no family, or friends and loads of enemies.

So, I learnt on my very first day you have to stand your ground and not give in to bullies. It was a great lesson on my first day in the house.

One of the advantages of being a government MP is being able to get things done!

When we went into parliament we had a specific agenda. It was what we campaigned on. When I look back at the first 100 days it is all a bit of a blur.

There were measures to improve the economy

Tax cuts
RMA reform
Reducing red tape

Law changes to make New Zealander safer with:

Tougher bail laws
We clamped down on gangs and drug trade
Introduced DNA testing
Created the victim compensation scheme

In Education

We passed laws for National Standards in literacy and numeracy
Started a programme of capital improvements worth $500 m
Introduced voluntary bonding for teachers who work in hard to staff schools as a way to write off student loans
Increased penalties for truancy

I want to talk about some of the work we have done in health and share with you one of the highlights.

One of the issues that I have been and will continue to be vocal on is maternity care in Taupo. I was thrilled to get Taupo on the hard to staff list for midwives and I know that Lakes DHB remains dedicated to providing Primary Maternity services in Taupo. The DHB currently has a full complement of Midwives, and the unfortunate weekend closures are becoming less frequent.

In closing, I want to thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.

It is a privilege to be a Member of Parliament and one which I do not take lightly.

I am determined to continue to work hard for Taupo and for New Zealand.

With the work you are doing in our community we will have a brighter future.