Business canvassing in Upper Hutt

Just arrived back after a couple of hours canvassing businesses in Upper Hutt with Clayton Cosgrove. We got a really great response and I have to hand it to Clayton, he’s a real natural. Even some of the shop keepers who initially looked a bit sceptical ended up chatting away with us. I have to say I admire the tenacity of Upper Hutt’s small business retailers. Despite the economic downturn they’re determined to keep their chins up and soldier on. It’s that kind of can-do attitude that will see us through this rough patch and out the other side.

Nat’s KiwiSaver and tax cuts policies prove unpopular

One of the most unpopular policies National has announced so far during this election campaign has been their plan to put to boot into KiwiSaver. Even people who haven’t signed up for KiwiSaver yet think it’s a bad idea. Many people have argued that New Zealand would be a much more prosperous country today had Rob Muldoon not robbed the piggy bank back in 1975 and they’re reluctant to see them do the same thing again this time around.

Their tax cuts policy has also prompted people to think twice about voting for change. Once the tax cuts Labour has already locked-in are taken into consideration, National’s policy would actually increase taxes on all those earning under $20,000 a year and all those earning under $40,000 a year who have kids. People simply shake their heads and sigh at the thought that National would increase taxes on our most vulnerable at a time when the economy is struggling.

It just goes to show that National is still the same party it was back in the 1990s. Last time New Zealand experienced turbulent economic times Bill English was the Minister of Finance. What was his response? He cut New Zealand Superannuation, cut funding for tertiary education and sold Contact Energy. Some people never learn…

1 October tax cuts & super increases

Today a number of changes came into effect that will give our local households a much needed financial boost. The 1 October tax cuts for all workers and New Zealand Superannuants, the Working for Families increases, and the free off-peak public transport for Super Gold Card holders are all great examples of the Labour-led Government delivering on its promises. These changes will all make a big difference to a great many New Zealanders.

The Labour-led Government is able to cut taxes while maintaining and improving investment in important areas like health and education because we have managed New Zealand’s finances prudently. New Zealanders can trust that Labour’s tax cut package is fair, affordable, and realistic, unlike the National Party’s plan to borrow recklessly for tax cuts when international financial markets are in meltdown.

This election is about who New Zealanders can trust. The changes which take effect today show that Labour can be trusted to deliver on its promises and do what is best for the country.

Brian Donnelly

On Thursday we learned that former NZ First MP Brian Donnelly had passed away after a short illness. Brain was a truly wonderful person. He was a passionate advocate for education and for young people. Widely respected on all sides of the political spectrum, Brian did what he felt was right, not what was politically expedient.

I first met Brian when I was involved in student politics. Parliament was debating legislation that would have made membership of students’ associations compulsory. I was part of a small delegation that lobbied MPs to vote against the Bill. Brian made it clear that he didn’t necessarily agree with us but he gave us a fair hearing and in the end he was part of a small group of MPs that reached a compromise and gave students’ the choice of whether to retain universal membership.

When I worked for Trevor Mallard, Brian was NZ First’s education spokesperson and the chair of the Education and Science Select Committee. Without doubt he was the best select committee chairperson I ever worked with. His personal integrity was beyond reproach and he always acted with professionalism and showed respect for all those around him.

Brian’s sudden passing is a great loss to New Zealand. He was an articulate, compassionate Kiwi of the highest order. Brian, all of us are the better for having known you.

Dirty tricks or just vandalism?

There was an interesting article in this week’s Sunday Star Times about ‘dirty tricks’ and election campaigns. Former National MP Michael Laws includes in the definition of dirty tricks the destruction of an opponents election hoardings. Having spent quite a lot of time in the past few weeks repairing damaged hoardings (with a little help from my friends) I think it’s important to draw a distinction between politically motivated destruction and plain vandalism.In Totara Park, for example, the hoardings of all candidates are destroyed on an almost nightly basis. There is no discrimination, if you’ve got a sign up, the vandals will pull it down. By contrast, our signs in Riverstone Terraces have been defaced with derogatory statements (or run over by 4WDs) while the National hoardings just 15 metres away have survived untouched.

I’m not arguing that this doesn’t go the other way too. I’m sure there are areas where National Party signs are defaced while Labour ones are left in tact. These acts of vandalism, politically motivated or not, are pretty disappointing no matter which side is the victim.

In a democracy voters are entitled to know who their local candidates are. Candidates and parties spend quite a lot of money on election signs, not to mention the voluntary labour that goes into putting them up and repairing them when damage is done.

But the real victims of the vandalism are the voters. They miss out on the opportunity to hear about local candidates and policies. The time and money spent repairing damaged signs could much better be spent talking about real issues. It’s democracy that really suffers at the hands of the vandals.

PM Visit to Lower Hutt Grey Power

I was delighted to accompany the PM on her visit to Grey Power in Lower Hutt yesterday. Helen was warmly received and I had a number of very pleasant conversations with members over a cuppa afterwards. It was interesting to note that in the half hour question and answer session that followed the PM’s speech not one person asked her about Winston Peters. Questions covered ranged from the shortage of doctors in the Hutt Valley through to pensions for overseas residents. As always, the PM was ready with an answer to each and every one of them.

After the Grey Power meeting we visited Datamail in Petone. I was amazed to learn about the volume of material datamail handle on a daily basis. Our visit was particularly timely because they were in the process of mailing out enrolment reminders to all those not currently on the electoral roll. For those interested, Radio NZ ran a story on the visit on Morning Report this morning.

Election Officially Underway

The year has rushed past and the formal part of the election campaign is now upon us. I launched my campaign for the Rimutaka seat on the 4th of September with a big fundraising dinner at China City Restaurant. Our special guest speaker for the evening was Housing Minister Maryan Street and over 80 supporters turned out to get the ball rolling.

A week later the PM announced that the election would be held on Saturday the 8th of November, so the campaign is now well and truly in full swing. We had a busy weekend getting all our hoardings up, and as expected we’ve already had to do a few running repairs! The photo below shows me and my friend Peter Wray in front of the first hoarding we completed on Akatarawa Road on Saturday morning.

Back to blogging

The past two months have been hectic! Juggling paid work with campaign commitments has been a challenge to say the least. Last Thursday I finished up at work and I’ll now be on the campaign trail fulltime. Despite having limited time over the past couple of months, looking back it’s amazing how much ground I’ve managed to cover.

 In the last two months I’ve visited the residents’ associations at Kelson and Belmont, spoken to students at Taita College, visited Fergusson and Maidstone Intermediates, attended the workers’ AGM at the Woburn Rail Workshops, toured the Haywards substation, visited Earthlink in Upper Hutt, and attended the Upper Hutt Citizens Advice Bureau AGM.

In late August we had the PM out to visit the Pomare Union Health Centre and Taita College where she was warmly received. You can read my media release about Pomare and what a great example of community-based healthcare here.

In my spare time (yeah right) I’ve been out door knocking every Saturday morning with a small group of wonderful volunteers. We’ve already covered a lot of ground including Pomare, Taita, Stokes Valley, Totara Park, Trentham, Timberlea and Kelson. There is still a lot more to do but we’re making great progress…

Two great events this week

In the past week I’ve had the opportunity to attend two significant social events in the electorate. On Saturday night I attended the Stokes Valley Cossie Club’s 20th Anniversary Dinner. It was a great meal and a great night. I know that the Stokes Valley Cossie Club have had their ups and downs in recent years, so I was really pleased to see such a good turnout for their anniversary function. There were some great speeches and some of the anecdotes older members shared as I moved around the room chatting to people were really interesting.

 On Wednesday night I attended the Upper Hutt Business Excellence Awards. It was the first time I’d been in a tux for a while! As far as major social events in Upper Hutt go, the business awards are about as big as it gets. My whole hearted congratulations to all those who were nominated and all those who received awards. It’s great to see the community uniting to pat each other on the back for a job well done!

Coming soon to a street near you…