As the MP for Waitaki my aim is to work hard to represent the people of this electorate.
I speak out on their behalf and, while my opinions may not be palatable to all, my primary aim is to improve the lives of my constituents and their families.
To that end I have fought for improved maternity services in Wanaka, securing new telemedicine facilities and at least one locum midwife for that community. I have argued the case on behalf of Otago farmers devastated by the M. bovis outbreak, spoken out about improving standards around Hawea's wastewater treatment plant and successfully fought to have recognised seasonal employer scheme numbers increased in Central Otago.
I have communicated with the minister about the effects of his immigration policies on Central and North Otago employers, spoken out about the Government's restructuring of Otago Polytechnic, helped force the withdrawal of a capital gains tax and supported the community through the Oamaru Hospital restructuring.
I am also conducting a nationwide Red Tape Roadshow at present to gather policy detail around reducing bureaucracy and regulation to promote business growth.
Unfortunately, we face several challenges across this region at present, in no small part because the Government has failed to deliver on many of its pre-election promises.
I have ongoing concerns about maternity services in Upper Clutha and Central Otago and I will continue to fight for the safety of mothers and babies in these areas. Two Budgets have now passed and this government has been missing in action, ignoring the ever-increasing calls for improvements.
The Prime Minister, while a mother herself, has said her government is focused on the ``wellbeing'' of New Zealanders, but at the same time is ignoring the pleas of the Otago community.
The Government has also failed Wanaka families with the KiwiBuild debacle, driven up costs through excessive vehicle tax hikes and fuel increases, closed the Stand Roxburgh Children's Village, failed those in Otago living with cancer by not funding life-saving drugs, allowed the economy to slow to a crawl while small business confidence tanks, cut plans for 24/7 policing in Wanaka and Alexandra, and scrapped a School of Rural Medicine, which would have benefited this region.
These are worrying times for my constituents and I will persist in putting community issues under the media spotlight in order to force local and central government into action.
I take pride in the successes that I have achieved for communities across my electorate and I can assure you that I will continue to pursue the job that I was elected to do with vigour, because that is what my constituents ask of me.
