Hon Jo Goodhew
MP for Rangitata

Busy time for electorate activities

Over the last few days there have been plenty of community activities in Rangitata and I have enjoyed getting to as many as possible.

Saturday started with the Temuka-Geraldine A&P Show at Winchester which as always proved a great opportunity to catch up with constituents. I was pleased to include on my show stand information and contact details for the Rural Support Trust, something which I will repeat at the Mayfield and Methven A&P Shows over the next two weekends.

On show day I also managed visits to the Waimataitai School Fair and Craighead Diocesan School Market Day before travelling to Methven to participate in the opening of the Methven Firefighter’s Support Group’s new facility. The facility offers education space for delivering the FireWise programme to children’s groups along with training facilities for local firefighters and storage for some of the Brigade’s vintage equipment.

National Children’s Day was celebrated on Sunday and I popped in to the Timaru event to find lots of fun activities underway and plenty of children and their families participating.

This next weekend I will be at the Mayfield A&P Show before returning to Timaru to participate in the South Canterbury Relay for Life cancer fundraiser.

Licence suspensions net $43.5m over two years

The threat of losing the right to drive has seen an extra $43.5 million in unpaid fines collected in the last two years.

A Driver Licence Stop Order (DLSO) can be imposed on anyone who fails to pay traffic-related fines imposed by a Court, Police or local government authority – or reparations imposed by a Court for traffic-related offences.

This initiative has been highly successful in getting those who were deliberately avoiding or refusing to pay their fines, to contact District Courts to resolve their fines.

Over the two years to 30 January 2016, some 30,000 warning letters have been sent out, resulting in almost 26,000 people who would have been eligible for suspension paying their fines or making payments towards them through a payment plan.

While the aim is to collect fines rather than take away people’s drivers licences, some 400 licences have been suspended over the last two years and about 100 of those are still in place.

Stop Orders are an effective tool this Government has introduced to enforce fines and reparation. In addition, fines can be reported to credit agencies, defaulters can be arrested if trying to travel overseas, and the District Courts have full enforcement powers to ensure people pay their fines.

It is encouraging that the total fines balance now owing is $585 million, down from over $800 million in 2009.

Minimum wage rise strikes the right balance

National’s 3.4 per cent increase in the minimum wage is more than three times inflation and gives our lowest-paid workers more money in their pocket, without imposing undue pressure on businesses or hindering job growth. It is expected to lift wages throughout the economy by $75 million a year.

From 1 April the adult minimum wage will rise to $15.25 and the starting-out and training hourly minimum wage will increase to $12.20.

National has increased the minimum wage every year since coming into office, from $12 to $15.25. This is an increase of 27 per cent compared to inflation of around 11 per cent.

Other changes that kick in on 1 April include boosting Super payments, lifting benefits and support for low-income families, and extending paid parental leave.

New intelligence centre and pilot to reduce the harm gangs cause

New Zealand’s first multi-agency Gang Intelligence Centre is now operating.

The centre is part of the Government’s Gang Action Plan. It brings together information held by Social Development, Customs, Corrections, Internal Affairs, Immigration, and Police on gang activity.

The information will be used to disrupt and dismantle illegal gang activities, and to identify and support gang members and associates who want out.

The wider social costs of gang crime is estimated to have a long-term cost to the taxpayer of around $714 million through contact with MSD and CYF for gang members and their children.

We want to break intergenerational gang life and welfare dependence, and steer young people away from gang membership. So as part of the Gang Action Plan’s Start at Home initiative, MSD is partnering with local social service providers in a pilot to deliver wrap-around intensive support services, increase educational achievement and employment opportunities for gang-connected families, and focus on youth mentoring and positive role modelling.

Gangs don’t need to be a fact of life in New Zealand. National promised to take action on gangs and we are working hard to deliver results.

Fewer youth in court – down 61 per cent since 2007/08

The number of children and young people appearing in New Zealand’s courts has dropped 61 per cent since 2007/08.

National’s policies to tackle youth crime are showing results. Our approach has been to ensure whenever a young person gets into difficulty, we work with them and their family to ensure behaviour doesn’t escalate into more serious offending.

In the 2007/08 financial year, 4998 children and young people (10 to16-year-olds) appeared in youth courts. By the 2014/15 financial year, this had dropped to 1959.

Youth crime has fallen 39 per cent since June 2011, and the National-led Government remains committed to driving this down further.

Voting in flag referendum begins

Every New Zealander who is eligible to vote should have their say on which flag will represent our country in the future.

The postal referendum that allows New Zealanders to choose between the existing flag and the Kyle Lockwood-designed silver fern, began 3 March and runs till 24 March.

Kiwis should celebrate the fact New Zealand is the first country in the world to ask citizens for their views on the design of their national flag. I hope you have, or will, take the opportunity to cast your vote.

Upcoming events

March 8 – 10: Parliament sitting
March 12: attending Mayfield A&P Show
March 12 – 13: attending Relay for Life, South Canterbury
March 14: open new community corrections facility, Timaru
March 15 – 17: Parliament sitting
March 18: Hosting List MP Maureen Pugh, Ashburton
March 19: Methven A&P Show
March 19: Speaking & judging, Trustpower National Community Awards, Dunedin

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