Welcome to the New Year 2010.  I hope you all enjoyed some time off over the festive season but one month on that's now all behind us.  This year, for me at least, has started with a hiss and a roar and has included a five day course on peace and fragile government in the United Kingdom.

On the local scene however, it's back to school and with that perhaps a time when we need to get behind our local schools and maybe consider standing as a trustee in the May elections.

Boards of Trustees are elected every three years, and are responsible for the overall running of the school, including student achievement.

This is a very important election for our region's schools.  Every three years, parents elect 15,000 trustees.  The contribution made by ordinary New Zealanders may also benefit the trustees in their personal growth.

Boards of Trustees oversee the spending of more than $1.2 billion a year, as well as being held accountable for the performance of their students.

I want to encourage both parents and people from the wider community to consider standing as a Board of Trustees representative.  If you care about the education our kids receive, this could be your opportunity to make a difference.

A trustee should be able to work well in a team, put plans in place for the schools' future, ask challenging questions and have good communication skills.

I strongly encourage people to contact their local schools to find out more about becoming a trustee.  While it may seem like a thankless task, you will be making a valuable contribution to the future of our communities and our families.

Posted by Staff in Column at 11:19

Welcome to 2010 and I hope you all enjoyed a good break.

As you are all no doubt aware, over the festive season the three proposed cubicle farming applications involving the Mackenzie High Country attracted considerable media attention.

As such and rightly so, I have been asked for my view on those farming operations.

I’ve said what I want to see is a robust consent process where all those involved get to have their say. I also want to see that process carried out in a timely, cost effective and robust manner.

And as you are all now probably aware, our high country water quality and allocation remains a major priority for me.

I know there is a high degree of anxiety within the district's community, but in the end we all have to wait for the consent process to take place. As your local MP I can not make any decisions or interfere with lawful process, even though my level of concern may also be considerable.

What I can and have done, however, is bring the matter to the attention of those Ministers whose portfolios oversee the matter.

Just last Sunday, I accompanied the Minister of Agriculture, David Carter, and Associate Minister of Conservation, Kate Wilkinson, on a visit to the Omarama, Twizel and Tekapo district. During that visit we had the opportunity to meet and talk with residents, and members of the farming and wider community, who shared their views and concerns about the proposals.

Of particular note have been the concerns raised about water quality, and the impact dairying could have on the Waitaki river. As water quality is of particular concern to me, I can assure you I'm keeping a close eye on the situation.

The Ministers and I have also taken on board the possible effects on tourism, environmental visual impact, concerns about animal welfare, and New Zealand’s reputation as having an excellent pastoral-based dairy industry.

I will monitor the situation closely.

Posted by Staff in Column at 09:46

I hope you all had a restful period over the Christmas and New Year break. I say restful because with the weather we've experienced recently there hasn't been much chance to do anything else.
 
Here's hoping the rest of summer settles down.
 
One recent piece of legislation I want to bring to your attention is our THREE STRIKES policy.
 
National and Act together have agreed upon the policy towards ensuring our country's worst repeat violent offenders will receive the maximum allowable sentence for their crimes.
The new sentencing regime, to be included in our Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill, is a "three-strikes" policy targeted at violent offenders who show continued disregard for the law.

The first offence will bring a standard sentence and warning. The second offence will bring a jail sentence, in most cases, with no parole and a further warning.

The third offence or strike, will result in the offender being given the maximum sentence in jail for the crime, with no parole.

The new regime will help keep the worst repeat offenders behind bars for longer and will also help deter criminals from committing further crime for fear of escalating the severity of their sentences.

We are determined to make our communities safer for Kiwi families. We are determined to reduce the number of crime victims. And we are determined to make life tougher for violent criminals.

The Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill is an important step towards that goal.

Posted by Staff in Column at 09:43

Welcome to 2010 and I hope you all enjoyed a good break.

As you are all no doubt aware, over the festive season the three proposed cubicle farming applications involving the Mackenzie High Country attracted considerable media attention.

As such and rightly so, I have been asked for my view on those farming operations.

I’ve said what I want to see is a robust consent process where all those involved get to have their say. I also want to see that process carried out in a timely, cost effective and robust manner.

And as you are all now probably aware, our high country water quality and allocation remains a major priority for me.

I know there is a high degree of anxiety within the district's community, but in the end we all have to wait for the consent process to take place. As your local MP I can not make any decisions or interfere with lawful process, even though my level of concern may also be considerable.

What I can and have done, however, is bring the matter to the attention of those Ministers whose portfolios oversee the matter.

Just last Sunday, I accompanied the Minister of Agriculture, David Carter, and Associate Minister of Conservation, Kate Wilkinson, on a visit to the Omarama, Twizel and Tekapo district. During that visit we had the opportunity to meet and talk with residents, and members of the farming and wider community, who shared their views and concerns about the proposals.

Of particular note have been the concerns raised about water quality, and the impact dairying could have on the Waitaki river. As water quality is of particular concern to me, I can assure you I'm keeping a close eye on the situation.

The Ministers and I have also taken on board the possible effects on tourism, environmental visual impact, concerns about animal welfare, and New Zealand’s reputation as having an excellent pastoral-based dairy industry.

I will monitor the situation closely.

Posted by Staff in Column at 09:36

It's that time of year again, Christmas and New Year. For many it is holiday time. For a few it will be work as usual. For most of us it will be a time of increased family activity, for a few others however, it will be as quiet as ever.

If I can do anything this season, it would be to ask you all to keep a look out for anyone who may be in that predicament at this time and if you are able, to offer them a word of cheer.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank you all very much for the courtesies extended to me whenever I’ve been in your part of the woods.

They've all been memorable occasions that included morning teas, meeting with the community's volunteers, holding clinics and attending the more formal functions such as the opening of new school buildings and the new DOC centre at Mt Cook.

Your district looks set to have much happening in the future and I can assure you I will keep close watch.

But for the next few weeks, it’s annual break time and as such I hope your thriving and active community receives an influx of free-spending tourists and holidaymakers.

For those required to work or are on standby I hope you get some time off. Either way I wish you all a safe and very merry Christmas and a happy and peaceful 2010.

Posted by Staff in Column at 14:28