While this isn’t my first column in The Star, it is my first as the elected Dunedin MP. In the last Parliament, I was a List MP based in and around the Otago region.
It was an honour to be elected by the city of Dunedin to serve as an electorate MP this term. Thank you to everyone who voted for and installed their trust in me.
Since being elected, I’ve been out and about meeting with many different community organisations and local businesses. I have had great conversations on visits to schools, university colleges, Fire and Emergency and Civil Defence.
I am also Labour’s spokesperson for the Environment, Food Safety, and Space.
The environment role has kept me particularly busy with the government’s regressive approach of repealing the resource management reforms; removing the electric vehicle subsidy; intending to change water regulations, to presumably allow pollution; and its intention for ministers to decide whether or not a large-scale project can go ahead, instead of an expert panel making that decision.
These changes are bad for the environment, climate, and our long-term economy.
While Wellington has been frustrating, it has been excellent to return to Dunedin and meet constituents.
My office and I are here to help all Dunedin residents for all matters involving central government.
If you need help with advocacy or aren’t happy with anything government related, please get in touch with my office. If we can’t help, we’ll hopefully at least be able to steer you in the right direction.
You can email me at: Rachel.BrookingMP@parliament.govt.nz
I would also like to welcome the thousands of university students who will arrive in Dunedin this week ahead of Orientation week. I hope you can all enjoy everything this great city has to offer.
In the meantime, I wish everyone a happy new year and look forward to hopefully crossing paths with many of you over the coming year.
