Viewpoint – National concerns

For the first time since I have been writing this column I am taking more of a National view than local. I hope you can forgive me for that but I feel it’s important to talk to you about some of the issues around the country that can have a direct impact on us.
Regional New Zealand has been handed some bad news and uncertainty in recent weeks, the most recent being the announcement of a ban on any new offshore natural gas exploration.

It came as a real shock to an industry that provides more than 8000 high paying jobs and $2.5 billion to the economy. Within an hour, New Plymouth’s largest engineering firm stopped all new employment.

Prior to making the announcement the Government hadn’t even had the common courtesy of consulting or warning the communities and businesses that would be affected.
While I fully support the country continuing to work hard to combat climate change, that does not mean the wishes of Greenpeace or the international media should have been prioritised over the people of Taranaki.

I would challenge the Government to work on a real, sustainable transition that will include genuine consultation with communities and regions that have made a huge contribution to the development of this country and to the livelihoods of thousands of Kiwis.

What made this whole rushed process worse is the decision simply does not stack up. It certainly has nothing to do with climate change – and won’t reduce our emissions one bit. These changes will simply shift production elsewhere in the world – benefiting large, foreign oil producers who we will now have to buy our oil and natural gas from.

In the last six months this Government has cancelled the previous Government’s tax package which would have seen the average worker more than $1000 a year better off, announced an 11.5 cents a litre fuel tax in Auckland, proposed an additional nationwide fuel tax of up to 13.8 cents a litre and removed $5 billion from regional roading projects.

Unfortunately important funding for regional irrigation projects which would have helped farmers and growers deal with severe weather, providing certainty, jobs and export growth have been axed. large-scale industrial relations reforms have been announced which will see fewer jobs created and fewer opportunities for people looking to enter the workforce. I am watching very closely the rising cost of living and we will continue to bring pressure to bear on the Government to keep cost of living down. Applying a petrol tax alone will mean motorists paying up to an extra $15 every time they fill up. It will also mean we are all paying more for things like groceries as freight operators pass their significant additional costs onto consumers.

What’s really disappointed me is the changes are not only unnecessary but they risk taking us backwards. Our economic growth is stalling while the world’s is speeding up and that’s not acceptable.

As your local MP I will work with and support good Government policies and decisions that will help my own electorate and our country be safe, prosperous and environmentally sustainable for future generations. What I won’t stand by and allow to happen is for us to stall, lose opportunities or damage our chances of continuing to deliver the safe, prosperous and sustainable future we all want.

Editor’s note: Hibiscus Matters next Viewpoint column, in May 16 issue, will be from Labour list MP Marja Lubeck of Rodney.