National's wheels coming off
Hi [Name]
In recent weeks it’s become increasingly clear that the National-led government has no coherent plan for the New Zealand economy. In the short time they have been in office the wage gap between New Zealand and Australia has widened. Government debt has increased substantially. Investment in public services has been slashed. And saving for the future has been curtailed.
Far from improving our position in relation to Australia, the National-led government has done the opposite. When John Key took office, we had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the developed world. Now the number of jobless is skyrocketing.
As our local families struggle with rising costs and frozen wage levels, National’s response is to increase those costs further by ramping up GST to 15%. As the gap between rich and poor continues to grow at a rapid pace, National has put their foot on the accelerator by dishing out huge tax cuts to the highest income earners and peanuts to ordinary hard-working Kiwis.
As ordinary New Zealanders struggle to get by day-to-day, National is distracted by side-shows and self-interest. John Key seems to have spent more time in the past week defending Rodney Hide’s antics than he has articulating a plan to get New Zealand moving again.
We need to get things back on track, and to do that we need a Labour-led government. We’ve got a huge task ahead as we prepare for next year’s election and I need your help. Building our campaign war chest is currently one of our highest priorities and with that in mind; I hope you’ll join us at our forth coming quiz night (see below). It will be heaps of fun and I hope to see you there.
Chris Hipkins
MP for Rimutaka
Congratulations Winnie
I’d like to congratulate my colleague and the current MP for Mana Luamanuvao Winnie Laban on her recent appointment as Assistance Vice-Chancellor at Victoria University. Winnie has made a huge contribution since entering Parliament in 1999 and I know she remains a huge supporter of the Labour Party. I wish her all the very best in her new role.
Winnie’s departure from Parliament means there will be a by-election in Mana before the end of the year. Planning is already underway and it’s likely that all of the local Labour Party organisations in the Wellington region will be asked to pitch in and help out.
The by-election will be a great opportunity for us to debate the issues that really matter to ordinary hard-working Kiwis. If you’d like to be involved, let Chris know. There is a role for everyone!
The Great Rimutaka Quiz Night
Don't forget to register for the Great Rimutaka Labour Quiz Night on Saturday 28 August, 7pm at St [Name]’s College Silverstream! Labour MP Grant Robertson will feature as the Quiz Master. Bring along a team of 4-6 people or just show up on the night and we'll find you some team mates! Tickets are $10 and are going fast! Contact [Email] or 027 590-0045.
National still lacks a plan
Nearly 20,000 Kiwis became unemployed over the past three months. The official unemployment rate has jumped from 6% to 6.8%. This shocking increase is yet more evidence that the National government has failed to get the economy moving and protect Kiwi jobs.
John Key promised to close the wage gap with Australia. Far from delivering on that promise, the gap has blown out by more than $50 a week under National and the trend is getting worse. In the past quarter, according to official statistics, Australian wages have increased by $17 a week, compared to $3 for Kiwi workers. Kiwis have had enough of the gimmicks like the Jobs Summit and cycleway. They want action from their Government.
Smiling and waving for the cameras doesn't amount to an economic plan. New Zealanders deserve better.
A bit more work for me…
A re-shuffle of responsibilities within the Labour caucus has resulted in a bit more work for me. I’ve recently joined two more select committees as a permanent member, the Regulations Review Committee and the Local Government and Environment Committee.
I’m really excited about both of these new roles. The Regulations Review Committee plays a vitally important role monitoring the government’s use of their delegated powers and links nicely with my role as Labour’s spokesperson on Internal Affairs.
The Local Government and Environment Committee is currently considering Rodney Hide’s most recent attempt to strip back the role of local government and prepare our water for privatisation. I’m looking forward to getting involved in that debate.
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