DAVID BENNETT MP for Hamilton East - Newsletter

Hamilton Bulletin - Budget 2012

nospam@example.com (David Bennett MP) — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:47:48 +1200

Budget 2012

Budget 2012 invests in New Zealand’s future. It will stimulate new jobs and deliver better services for families while keeping the Government on track for surplus in 2014/15.

The budget is an important part of our plan to build a brighter future for all New Zealanders. Its priorities are:

Responsibly managing Government finances.
Building a more competitive and productive economy.
Delivering better public services.
Rebuilding Christchurch.

Despite the extraordinary challenges we’ve all faces in the last few years, New Zealand is in good shape. That’s thanks to National’s strong focus on rebuilding and strengthening our economy. We will be one of the few developed countries not increasing public debt in these testing times.

Science and Technology

Budget 2012 delivers on the Government’s commitment to building a more competitive and productive economy, with $250 million of new operating funding and $76.1 million in capital funding over four years for science and innovation and research.
Science and innovation are a crucial part of the Government’s business growth agenda, as well as the key to solving many of the issues New Zealand faces. It is a major driver of growth and international competiveness which is why we have continued to increase funding for them despite tight fiscal constraints.

New Funding over the next four years includes:

$90 million operating funding and $76.1 million capital funding to create the Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) to work with the high-tech manufacturing and services sector.
$60 million operating funding for National Science Challenges to find innovative solutions to some of the most fundamental issues New Zealand faces.
$100 million additional research funding (from Vote Tertiary Education) by increasing the size of the Performance-Based Research Fund to $300 million by 2016.

The ATI and National Science Challenges will help boost the economy and improve New Zealand’s health, society and environment. The creation of the ATI will better link business and science and help create new high-tech products and services.

Growth Forecast

Since 2008 we have focused on ensuring New Zealand has the infrastructure, skills, and systems to support faster economic growth. We are encouraging business to grow thought having the confidence to invest, to employ more people and to pay them higher wages – vital ingredients in creating a more productive and competitive economy.

Budget 2012 forecasts economic growth to average about 3 per cent a ear over the next four years, with 154,000 new jobs created – on top of the 60,000 new jobs created in the past two years.
National is committed to building a brighter future for all New Zealanders and their families. Budget 2012 is another strong and positive step towards achieving this goal and supporting New Zealanders in uncertain times.

For more information: http://www.national.org.nz/budget2012.aspx

Hamilton Bulletin - March 2012

nospam@example.com (David Bennett MP) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:15:35 +1200

Hello and welcome to the first edition of the Hamilton Bulletin for the year with Parliament already pressing ahead with new initiatives.

First of all a big thank you

First of all I would like to take this opportunity to thank Hamiltonians for once again supporting the National Party and voting for a Government that will continue to serve the interests of all New Zealanders. There have been some testing times over the last three years however we have worked hard towards economic reform and to ensure a safer, more prosperous and more ambitious country.

Local Government Reforms

This week the government has announced plans to assist in the reform of Local Government. The high debt levels and continual rate rises have been the drivers for the Governments need to undertake reforms in this area. There will no doubt be high public interest in any reforms.

The Government intends to clarify the rules of operation of local government and their mandate. Part of that will be to refocus the purpose of local government. The refocus will be of purpose to replace references to “social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing of communities” with a new purpose for councils of “providing good quality local infrastructure, public services and regulatory functions at the least possible cost to households and businesses.” Essentially local government will be reprioritising back to their core roles.

The reforms also introduce fiscal responsibility requirements, provisions to strengthen council governance and procedures streamlining any council reorganisation.

The reorganisation process deals with issues such as amalgamation that are a hot topic in local government circles. Essentially the rules for reorganisation or amalgamation will hinge on two things .First, whereas previously a petition of 10% of the electors was required to initiate a proposal; this is now enough to trigger a poll on a draft proposal of reform.

This poll then only needs majority support over the area of the new council. Previously a majority in every existing district or city was required. This is a very significant change in the proposals.

The balance of the reforms include a local government efficiency taskforce, frameworks around local and central government regulatory roles, and an investigation into the efficient provision of infrastructure and review of Development Contributions.

For more information please visit www.dia.govt.nz/better-local-government.

Give Way Rule Changes

At 5am on Sunday 25 March, two of the give way rules are changing to make New Zealand’s roads safer. Whether we drive, walk cycle or ride, everyone needs to know about the changes to stay safe on the roads.

Motorists turning right will no longer Give Way to vehicles turning from their right.

Change 1: Left turn v right turn. Remember: if you are turning right give way.
Change 2: Uncontrolled T-intersections. Remember: Top of the T goes before me.

Some of Hamilton’s busiest junctions will be heavily affected as these intersections are those with the highest traffic volumes.

Memorial Drive-Bridge Street: Traffic turning left off the bridge into Memorial Drive will no longer give way to oncoming traffic turning right.
River Road-Te Aroha Street: Traffic turning left from River Road into Te Aroha Street will no longer give way to oncoming traffic turning right.
Hukanui Road-Glenn Lynne Avenue: Turning traffic left into Glen Lynne Avenue will no longer give way to oncoming traffic turning right.
Bankwood Road-Clarkin Road: Traffic turning left into either Bankwood Road or Heaphy Terrace will no longer give way to oncoming traffic turning right.

Overall the give way rule changes will simplify judgement needed in complex traffic environments and also make New Zealand’s give way rules consistent with international standards.

For more information visit www.giveway.govt.nz

Hamilton Bulletin - September 2011

nospam@example.com (David Bennett MP) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:10:18 +1200

Welcome to the September edition of the Hamilton Bulletin. Not only is the election just around the corner now but this month New Zealand plays host to the world as the Rugby World Cup kicks off.

Post-Budget Survey:

I would like to thank all of you who took the time to complete and return my recent survey. I have had many returns and they have given me a good snapshot of the issues in our area. If you requested to receive the Hamilton Bulletin I would like to welcome you to your first edition.

Welfare Reform:

We have recently announced welfare reform which will further assist in providing the right signals and incentives for young people to up skill. National will change the Government’s approach to young people who are not in education, training or work. Teenage beneficiaries will receive intensive case management and support. Essential costs like rent and power bills will be paid directly on their behalf and they will receive payment cards which can be used only for food and groceries - not alcohol and cigarettes along with a set amount of discretionary spending money.

As a Government we have also ensure that our young people have the skills necessary for a modern society. Recently we had the first graduates from the Waikato Trades Academy at Wintec. This is an important step in providing skills to our young people.

Together with good economic management and the right signals and incentives we can provide the opportunity to our young people to be active and successful in our fast growing part of the world.

In the Community:

There have been some exciting events happening around the community lately, but also with the Rugby World Cup just around the corner Hamilton is preparing for an action packed month.

Also Hamilton hosted the University of Cambridge as they returned to the Waikato River to defend their title against our team from the Waikato University in the Great Race.

Congratulations to the University of Waikato for winning the great race.

The first match for the Rugby World cup is being held this Friday, as Hamilton plays host to Japan when the take on our All Blacks. To celebrate the House bar on Hood will be hosting the Prime Minister for a pre-match drink. Tickets are $25 which includes a drink on arrival. If you wish to purchase a ticket please text me on 021988277, or follow this link for the Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=186911828048457

Hamilton Bulletin - June 2011

nospam@example.com (David Bennett MP) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:30:51 +1200

Welcome to the June edition of the Hamilton Bulletin. The countdown the the election is on and things are getting busy both in Parliament and in Hamilton, with the Budget being the centre of attention.

Budget 2011

We are building a strong platform for growth, and setting out the next steps of the Government’s programme to increase national savings, whilst providing a boost by investing further in the health and education sectors.

In the recent budget we:

Extended the mixed-ownership model to our four state owned energy companies - Mighty River Power, Meridian, Genesis and Solid Energy. Also we have reduced the Government's majority stake in Air New Zealand, with kiwi investors at the front of the queue for shares.
Changes to KiwiSaver that will encourage a higher level of private savings and make the scheme more financially sustainable. The changes will free up $2.6 billion over four years.
An extra $2.2 billion to public health services over the next four years, including an additional $585 million in initiatives in 2011/12.
Schools and early childhood education receive an extra $1.4 billion in operating and capital funding out to 2014/15, with total education spending rising to a record $12.2 billion and 2011/12.
Unemployment statistics are continuing to decrease with the rate dropping to 6.6 per cent. Budget 2011 will include $55.2 million over four years to support young people into jobs and $15 million more for other employment assistance programs.

For more information on the budget visit:

http://national.org.nz/budget2011.Budget2011-ataglance.pdf

Election 2011

With the election coming up we are looking for people to help with activities such as pamphlet delivery. Please don't hesitate to contact us at david.bennett@parliament.govt.nz if you are available to assist with this.

Thank you for your support.

Hamilton Bulletin - April 2011

nospam@example.com (David Bennett MP) — Fri, 13 May 2011 14:09:06 +1200

Hello and welcome to the third edition of the Hamilton Bulletin for this year.

The Waikato-Bay of Plenty has been picked as the preferred site for New Zealand's Cycling Centre of Excellence. The Government is making a contribution of $7 million towards the Centre. This will be huge for our region and we need to get in behind the fundraising efforts to make it a reality.

The first step is to submit to local councils so that they can assist in the funding as well. I am encouraging people to make submissions. If you would like to pledge your support for this project please make a submission using the following link: http://www8.ud.co.nz/submission

Thanks again for all your support.

Hamilton Bulletin - March 2011

nospam@example.com (David Bennett MP) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 08:00:00 +1300

Hello and welcome to the second edition of the Hamilton Bulletin for the year. Our deepest condolences go out to those affected by the recent disaster in Christchurch, during what is one of the darkest times our country and people have faced.

Supporting the earthquake recovery

As the nation grieves for the lives lost in the tragedy in Christchurch, the Government remains focused on supporting the earthquake recovery. The first priority will be finding the bodies of victims and helping families through this incredibly difficult time.

Prime Minister John Key this week announced that March 18 will be a national day of mourning for the victims of the Christchurch earthquake, with memorial services expected to take place around the country. We are deeply grateful for the offers of assistance received from international Urban Search and Rescue teams, and the unrelenting efforts of our own search teams along with Civil Defence, the Fire Service, Police and Defence Force personnel.

Continue reading "Hamilton Bulletin - March 2011"

Hamilton Bulletin - February 2011

nospam@example.com (David Bennett MP) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:36:40 +1300

Happy new year and welcome to the first edition of the Hamilton Bulletin for 2011. The year is set to be a busy one and after an enjoyable break over the Christmas period, we are ready to get right into it.

2011 General Election
The Prime Minister last week announced the date for the election as Saturday 26 November. Over the coming months the National-led Government will continue to develop and implement our programme to build towards the brighter future that New Zealanders and their families deserve.

Email Addresses
In the lead up to the election, we are looking to increase our email database so we can keep in touch. If you have friends or family who reside in Hamilton East and would like to hear from us, it would be appreciated if you could pass on their email addresses. You can do this via our contact page or sending a message to david.bennett@parliament.govt.nz

Continue reading "Hamilton Bulletin - February 2011"

Hamilton Bulletin - December 2010

nospam@example.com (David Bennett MP) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:48:00 +1300

With the Parliamentary year drawing to a close and people winding down from work and preparing for Christmas, this will be the last edition of the Hamilton Bulletin for 2010.

Thank you for your support throughout the year. We look forward to bringing this newsletter to you in 2011 and keeping you up to date with news from Parliament and Hamilton East.

Pike River mine tragedy
Last week, a grieving nation farewelled the 29 men who lost their lives in the Pike River coal mine tragedy on 19 November. Throughout the country we observed two minutes of silence in support of the families and communities of the West Coast miners.

Prime Minister John Key summed up the feelings of the nation when he said at the memorial service in Greymouth

“Your men were our men. And even if many of us know them only as names and faces and stories, their deaths touched our lives, and we will remember them. May they rest in peace.”

Continue reading "Hamilton Bulletin - December 2010"

Hamilton Bulletin - November 2010

nospam@example.com (David Bennett MP) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:20:06 +1300

Welcome to the November edition of the Hamilton Bulletin. The countdown to the holiday season has begun, and the weeks ahead look set to be busy here in Parliament and in Hamilton.

Waikato Business Excellence Awards
The awards for 2010 were celebrated at the Claudelands Exhibition Centre last week. It was great to see a wide range of entries for the various categories. Entering these awards is an opportunity for businesses to measure their operations and performance against the awards criteria and allows them to make comparisons with other businesses. Hill Laboratories had a notably successful evening, being awarded the Westpac Business of the Year Supreme Award, whilst their General Manager, Steve Howse, was presented with the Waikato Management School Leader of the Year award.

Congratulations to all award winners and entrants. Well done.

Continue reading "Hamilton Bulletin - November 2010"

Hamilton Bulletin - October 2010

nospam@example.com (David Bennett MP) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:07:00 +1300

Welcome to the October edition of the Hamilton Bulletin. The year seems to have flown by and we have a busy few weeks coming up in Hamilton. The Government has also been working hard to deliver on its promise to secure a brighter future for New Zealand, with a number of incentives in the 2010 Budget coming into effect this month.

Tax cuts
On October 1 the Government’s new tax rates came into effect. Many workers will have noticed an increase in their take-home pay package and the tax cuts off-set the increase in GST, leaving most households better off under this new scheme.

The tax cuts are part of the Government’s six-point plan for a stronger economy. They will help families get ahead under their own steam, boost growth to create jobs and raise incomes. This plan also encourages savings and investment, and makes the tax rules fairer for all New Zealanders.

Continue reading "Hamilton Bulletin - October 2010"

Hamilton Bulletin - August 2010

nospam@example.com (David Bennett MP) — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 12:58:00 +1200

Hello. A number of recent announcements have created wide public interest and we have appreciated receiving your feedback.

Some News from Parliament includes:

Alcohol Reform Package: Addressing the Drivers of Crime
This week the National-led Government announced an alcohol reform package, in response to the public’s call for action with new legislation. This package shows a commitment to reducing alcohol related harm, with a strong focus on youth, as well as empowering communities.

Continue reading "Hamilton Bulletin - August 2010"

Hamilton Bulletin - May 2010

nospam@example.com (David Bennett MP) — Mon, 24 May 2010 12:50:00 +1200

Hello. The National-led Government recently delivered its second Budget. This Budget is forward thinking and is about setting the right signals and incentives to New Zealanders. It has been a very successful Budget and comprised the following:

Tax Cuts
There are across the board tax cuts which come into effect on 1 October 2010.

Continue reading "Hamilton Bulletin - May 2010"

Hamilton Bulletin - April 2009

nospam@example.com (David Bennett MP) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:46:00 +1200

Welcome. I hope you all had a Happy Easter. The National-led Government has been busy in Parliament and have ticked off everything we promised to do in our first 100 days. 1 April saw a number of changes to help make New Zealanders better off as we implemented more of our Jobs and Growth plan.
Continue reading "Hamilton Bulletin - April 2009"

Hamilton Bulletin - February 2009

nospam@example.com (David Bennett MP) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:51:44 +1300

Welcome. Happy New Year and welcome to our first email newsletter of the year and our first newsletter as the Government. The year is already flying through and 2009 has started off with strong decision making and leadership by the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister John Key said in his opening address:

“Our task now is to build on the success of last year and tackle the challenges of 2009. We face some pretty difficult economic conditions as well as the concerns we identified in the election campaign. But I am confident that with a lot of hard work and your help, we can look through the global recession, deliver on our election promises, and build a brighter future for all New Zealanders.”

Continue reading "Hamilton Bulletin - February 2009"

Hamilton Bulletin - July 2008

nospam@example.com (Staff) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:58:15 +1200

Hello. We have had a very busy month here in the Hamilton East Electorate.

Truckies Protest
The big event of the past few weeks was the truckies protesting the increase in road user charges. I joined one of the Regal Haulage trucks as they drove through the city in support of their plight. While Hamiltonians had to tolerate the congested roads, there was a general consensus from the public that a message had to be sent to the Government.

The increase in road user charges of about 7% for a typical truck comes at a time when the trucking industry is really struggling with higher fuel costs. These costs will eventually be passed on to all New Zealanders in the form of higher prices for food, clothing, and every other essential good that gets transported by road.

Continue reading "Hamilton Bulletin - July 2008"