Our Government is approaching the end of its first full year in office and I’m so proud of what we’ve delivered.
Just over a year ago, New Zealanders put their trust in us to get our country back on track. We set out to do three things: rebuild the economy, restore law and order and deliver better public services. Our achievements in each of those areas are simply too numerous to list in one column.
We’ve taken big steps to tackle inflation and support both families and businesses. Within our first 100 days we got rid of the Reserve Bank’s dual mandate, to get it solely focused on fighting inflation. We recently saw this approach bear fruit with inflation finally dropping below 3% for the first time since March 2021.
As Economic Development Minister, I’ve been able to contribute to our economic recovery through a range of my portfolio responsibilities. Last month, I announced a change to Government Procurement Rules to ensure government agencies pay their suppliers (many of whom are small to medium businesses) faster – I know the impact a promptly paid invoice can have on these businesses’ bottom line. It’s also been great to oversee major events boosting local economies around the country, such as the World Choir Games hosted here in Auckland, which contributed nearly $20 million in tourism expenditure to our economy.
Global trade is a big part of our plan to rebuild the economy – many of you have heard me talk about our goal to double the value of our exports in 10 years. It was a privilege to join the Prime Minister’s trade mission to Malaysia and South Korea this year, two countries I have an intimate knowledge of. This was followed up with my hosting of the inaugural Ethnic Xchange Symposium, which explored the ways in which New Zealand’s ethnic communities and businesses can contribute to our economic growth.
The end of the year brings many milestones. For many senior school students, December means not only the end of another school year but also the end of their entire schooling journey; the culmination of years of hard work. Congratulations to all the students who are leaving school this year, particularly those picking up awards at prizegiving. It was a pleasure to attend Mount Albert Grammar School’s prizegiving ceremony and celebrate the school’s top achievers, including Duxes Ryan Shen and Ciara Anand, and Proxime Accessits Jacob Miller and Rose Leader.
Education is a big passion of mine given its transformative influence on our young people. It’s been great to see our Government’s initiatives – such as the cellphone ban, structured literacy and our ‘Make it Count’ maths action plan which will help our children reach their full potential at school and set them up for future success.
I want to give a quick shout out and welcome to Eric, my new staff member who recently started in my Auckland office. Eric is learning lots about the role and is happy to help with a range of issues, so next time you drop by my office, please say hi to Eric.
Lastly, I want to sign off for the year by saying a big thank you to everyone in Mt Albert and around Auckland I’ve spoken to this year. Whether you’ve come to see me at my office, joined one of my regular morning teas or simply stopped to have a chat at a local event, engaging with our fantastic community will always be my favourite part of my job.
I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season, and I’ll see you in 2025 for another busy year of delivering real results for New Zealand!
Until next time, (Hon Melissa Lee) χPN National List MP based in Mt Albert Authorised by Melissa Lee, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
M.Lee@Ministers.govt.nz
