2014 General Election Candidate Information and Interweb Links

Later this year we all get to vote in the 2014 General Election.  In Raglan we vote either for candidates standing in the King Country-Taranaki or Hauraki-Waikato electorates.  And perhaps even more importantly under MMP, we get to vote for a party.

This page has information and interweb links supplied by the parties that they believe is relevant to us in Raglan Whaingaroa.

As at 7th August information provided to Raglan 23 is:

Green Party

King Country-Taranaki candidate is Robert Moore.

The Green policy index page is https://www.greens.org.nz/policy.

Of particular relevance to Raglan are:

• tourism (https://www.greens.org.nz/policysummary/tourism-policy-summary),
• conservation and dolphins (https://www.greens.org.nz/policysummary/conservation-policy-summary),
• environment, clean streams, recycling and ironsand mining (https://www.greens.org.nz/policy/environment-policy),
• energy and deep sea drilling (https://www.greens..org.nz/policy/energy-policy),
• information technology (https://www.greens.org.nz/policysummary/ict-policy-summary),
• economic policy (https://www.greens.org.nz/policysummary/economic-policy-summary-thinking-beyond-tomorrow)
• and support for research (https://www.greens.org.nz/policysummary/research-science-and-technology-policy-summary).

Above information on Greens provided by John Lawson

National Party

King Country-Taranaki candidate is Barbara Kuriger

“I stand for rural and regional New Zealand; farming, strong exports and tourism.  Supporting local businesses, providing employment and enabling our communities to flourish.”

The National policy index page is https://www.national.org.nz/plan

Regions leading the recovery under National

Regional New Zealand has led our country out of the global financial crisis with almost every region showing strong growth, and most with a lower unemployment rate than Auckland.

Barbara Kuriger, National Party Candidate for Taranaki – King Country, has a particular interest in regional growth and is committed to working hard with businesses and industries in the electorate. Applying the six key drivers of the Business Growth Agenda along with a strong collaborative effort will build a stronger economy for the region and enhance the many communities within the electorate.

For New Zealand to build a more productive and competitive economy, we need all our regions to achieve to their potential. That’s precisely what the Government’s Business Growth Agenda is all about. It focuses on the six key drivers businesses need to thrive – capital markets, infrastructure, skills, export markets, innovation, and natural resources.

And that’s why we’re working across the country doing things like building the Roads of National Significance and accelerating regional roading projects, putting in ultra-fast and rural broadband, and encouraging water storage and new irrigation projects. National cycle trails around the country are helping boost our tourism industry.

We’re working alongside business to invest in primary growth partnership projects to get a better return from what we sell to the world, and we’re encouraging oil and gas exploration.

A skilled workforce is a key to future prosperity so we’re supporting the development of skills with the likes of the youth guarantee, apprenticeships, and encouraging the study of science and technology subjects.

Callaghan Innovation, our high-tech HQ, is helping businesses turn ideas into internationally-marketable products and services more quickly and successfully. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) has just established a new regional investment attraction programme to encourage more international firms to invest in New Zealand’s regional economies and create more jobs.

Fourteen regional investment profiles, launched on July 8th , will be used by the Government, NZTE, and regional Economic Development Agencies to identify investment opportunities where there is a regional advantage, to help guide investors more quickly and effectively to those regions where opportunities are strongest.

This follows the announcement of another $212 million investment to accelerate 14 important regional state highway projects across the country, the latest part of National’s strong programme to create jobs and growth for regional New Zealand.

National Policy Summary

Under the leadership of John Key and National, New Zealand is heading in the right direction. It’s important we build on the hard-won gains we’re making as a country by:

• Responsibly managing the Government’s finances, so your taxes are spent wisely on the services your family needs, our country isn’t burdened by high debt, and interest rates are kept lower than they otherwise would be.
• Building a more competitive and productive economy to create more jobs, raise incomes, and build opportunities for young people.
• Delivering better public services, so your local school performs better, you don’t have to wait so long for emergency treatment and elective operations, beneficiaries are supported into work, and streets in your community are safer.
• Rebuilding Christchurch, so it is a great place to live, work, and raise a family in. We’re making good progress, but there’s more to be done.
• Working for New Zealand families, by investing almost $500 million more in the well-being of New Zealand’s children and families, our plan will increase paid parental leave and parental tax credit, and make doctors visits free for children under 13.
• Working for our Environment, Successful economic and environmental policy can, and must, go hand in hand to provide a cleaner and brighter future for all New Zealanders. National is providing real leadership on environmental issues in a sensible “Bluegreen” way that also supports better jobs and a growing economy.

For more information on National’s next steps head to https://www.national.org.nz/news/features

Above information on National provided by Barbara Kuriger