JAMI-LEE ROSS MP for Botany

The Ross Report - March Edition II

nospam@example.com (admin) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:51:57 +1300

Better Local Government

Last month I wrote about the fiscal snowball which local government has become. This week the Government has announced a package of reforms to address that issue and help keep rates affordable.

You may recall that since 2002 rates have increased an average of 6.8 per cent every year and council debt has quadrupled to $8 billion. I know that people in Botany are feeling the pinch of these increases and are very conscious of more to come. Last week I attended a meeting where East Auckland residents made it clear to Mayor Brown that rates increases in the area were unacceptable. I agree.

I am pleased to see action being taken at the highest level on this issue. The reforms announced this week will help rebalance the changes made in 2002 and focus councils on achieving their core tasks at the least cost to rate payers.

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The Ross Report - March Edition

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:46:00 +1300

More places with the Youth Guarantee

The Government is keeping its focus on helping young people by announcing that there will be 9,616 training places available under the Youth Guarantee Scheme.

The Youth Guarantee Scheme is designed to help 16 and 17 year olds for whom school is not working and who are at risk of being left behind.

This year there will be 7,345 fee-free places available through various Institutes of Technology, Polytechnics and other education providers. Courses will include priority trade areas like carpentry, engineering, horticulture and plumbing.

There has been a significant increase in demand for a place in these courses so it is great to see more opportunities being made available. Obviously these programmes are working for our young people and word is getting around as to how beneficial they are.

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MP congratulates CMDHB on good improvements with National Health Targets

nospam@example.com (admin) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:44:00 +1300

Member of Parliament for Botany, Jami-Lee Ross is pleased to see national and local progress towards achieving the Government’s health targets. The latest figures from the Ministry of Health show the Counties Manukau District Health Board has improved against four of the targets: shorter stays in Emergency Departments, improved access to elective surgery, increased immunisation and better help for smokers to quit.

“National health targets are an important tool to ensure better health services are delivered to New Zealanders. Delivering better public services is one of the Government’s four key priorities for this term. We campaigned on that platform and it is great to see it being achieved already.” Mr Ross says.

“The latest results, which cover the three months to December 2011, have shown record improvements nationwide. District Health Boards are focusing even more on patients, and in turn, patients are benefiting from the Government’s $1.5 billion extra funding over the past three years.”

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The Ross Report - February Edition II

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:54:00 +1300

New primary up and running.
This week I was fortunate enough to visit the newest addition to Botany’s Primary School network. Elim Junior Campus is a state-integrated primary school in Golflands which opened at the beginning of the year.

The school has a roll of around 350 young students, all of whom seem full of excitement and enthusiasm – and rightly so. I was greatly impressed with the new facilities and the warm welcoming atmosphere the school has created.

Elim has embraced some new approaches to schooling which I do not recall from my days at Papatoetoe West Primary. Teachers no longer have desks, walls are now transparent and whiteboards are now computers.

Technology seems to be a central focus for the school and it was great to see the eagerness with which the kids launched into their work on the school’s netbooks. This is definitely a modern learning environment. I look forward to seeing more existing schools doing the same things with the help of the Government’s $1 billion investment into 21st Century schools.

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Celebration not Indignation

nospam@example.com (admin) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:59:00 +1300

This year another Waitangi Day passed with the now traditional protests, screaming and posturing. Sadly the day has become more synonymous with news reels of mud, tears and fists than it is about celebrating our identity. Most New Zealanders have understandably come to see February 6th as a day of division and differences. Is that what we should be celebrating on our national day?

I believe there is value in recognising and robustly debating our issues. I believe politicians and Maori leaders should come together and address the state of race relations on the spot where that relationship was formalised. Waitangi Day, like no other, is a recognition of where we came from as a nation and so it should remain. But is it still the best forum for celebrating our identity?

On the same weekend as Waitangi Day the Auckland Lantern Festival was attended by over 100,000 people. Families, friends and whanau descended on Albert Park en masse to show how accepting and inclusive we are as a people. Meanwhile, at Waitangi, we had scenes of hikoi, megaphones and the Prime Minister shielded by Diplomatic Protection. Which would New Zealanders have rather attended?

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The Ross Report - Local Government Edition

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:40:00 +1300

Rates, Debts and Backward Steps.
One of the things I was very keen on during my time as a Manukau and then Auckland Councillor was fiscal responsibility. Like your taxes, I believe that your rates should be treated carefully - you worked hard to earn that money and it should be respected. That is why I was keen to advocate for responsible management of the Council’s books so that rates increases and debt were kept to a minimum.

Unfortunately, this has not necessarily been the case of late. This week the new Local Government Minister, Hon Dr Nick Smith released some figures which showed a worrying trend. Since the changes to local government laws in 2002, the national average rates increases have been 6.8 per cent per annum. This is in contrast to a 3.9 per cent average annual increase in the decade prior. It is also considerably larger than the overall Consumer Price Index (inflation) increase of 3 per cent in those same years.

The news is no better on the debt front either. Nationally, total council debt quadrupled from $2 billion in 2002 to $8 billion today. Remember this covers the time during the global financial crisis. While household debt started reducing in 2010, council debt continued to grow reaching $1,800 million in that year alone.

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The Ross Report January Edition II

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:51:00 +1300

The Food Bill Special Edition

Over the summer period there has been one issue that seems to be concerning people more than most. I know that there have been some fears in the community about the effects of the Food Bill. I want to take the opportunity here to set out the purpose and effect of this Bill and hopefully reassure people who have become concerned.

I realise that some will be questioning why this change is taking place. The Food Bill is designed to update the current 30-year old food safety regulations. The purpose of the Bill is to create a more efficient system for traders and to cut down on the red tape that they currently experience. At present over half of local councils have developed various solutions to address holes in the current Food Act. The new Bill will largely remove the need for these individual local bylaws.

The Food Bill also intends to reduce the high level of food-borne illness in New Zealand. I was surprised to hear that in 2010 the cost to the New Zealand economy due to food-borne illness was estimated to be as high as $162 million. That is just under $450,000 per day!

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The Ross Report January Edition

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:46:00 +1300

Happy New Year
After a pleasant break for Christmas I am looking forward to 2012 and the challenges and opportunities of a new year. I hope you had an opportunity to spend some quality time with friends and family despite the unseasonable weather.

My electorate office has reopened after a short break and we are more than happy to help with any issues or queries you may have. Please do not hesitate to contact us, our details are below.

Ports of Auckland Industrial Action
One of the big issues that has been developing over the past six weeks is the industrial action taking place at the Ports of Auckland. I am very concerned for the long term future of our Port, especially considering it is 100 per cent owned by Auckland ratepayers and residents. I would be interested in your views on this issue as well.

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As requested, one brighter future.

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:01:00 +1300

Being returned to Parliament is a great honour, one that I take seriously and one which I am very grateful to Botany voters for. It is also a privilege for National to be re-elected to Government, one which we intend to make the most of.

Before the election we released our ‘post-election action plan’. It is a road map for the immediate steps we plan to take now that we have been returned to Government. It outlines the critical actions needed in several important areas – the economy, welfare, law and order, education, health, and rebuilding Canterbury.

Botany is an area with a lot of entrepreneurial and ambitious families so it was no surprise that a lot of the comment I received was about the economy. We intend to immediately start working towards halving the deficit next year and being back in surplus in 2014/15. We will also be introducing legislation to change ACC so there is greater choice and less cost to business. We understand that there will be challenges to the economy, globally and domestically, but we believe the work we have done over the past three years and our list of new initiatives will keep New Zealand on a stable platform.

While working towards building a stronger economy we also need to be mindful to protect those who are struggling. We will be introducing tougher consumer credit laws to target loan sharks who often prey on those finding it difficult to pay their bills. We will also undertake an urgent review of the Social Security Act to make it easier to prosecute people defrauding the taxpayer. This will help us focus the welfare budget on helping those who can work get back into work.

For all the years I have lived in this area I have seen that law and order is priority for Botany residents. We plan to take some quick action to make communities safer including changing bail laws to make it harder for the most serious offenders to get out of prison early. In a similar vein we also want to introduce Civil Detention Orders to protect families from the most extreme criminal offenders when their sentence expires.

Finally, in education we want parents to be offered more information will make secondary school performance information available to parents. We’re starting a review of the Teachers Council to improve the quality of teaching. We’re setting a target of 98 per cent early childhood education participation.

There is a lot of work ahead and I am excited about the future for Botany and for New Zealand.

Thank you Botany

nospam@example.com (admin) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:00:00 +1300

Dear Friends,

I wanted to send a short thank you message to everyone in Botany that was kind enough to give myself and the National Party their support on Saturday. It is both pleasing and humbling to be re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Botany.

It is a real privilege to represent our community in Parliament. Our electorate has a great sense of community spirit, is home to a multi-cultural population and has big ambition. Botany is an electorate that is constantly changing and getting better each day. I appreciate the support that I have been shown by this wonderful electorate.

As the local MP for Botany, it is my role to represent your voice in Parliament. If ever I can help with anything, please feel free to get in touch on (09) 271 3255 or email me directly at jami-lee.rossmp@parliament.govt.nz.

Thank you again to Botany voters and best wishes for the coming festive season.

The Ross Report - November edition III

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:58:00 +1300

As we are nearing the end of the current Parliamentary term, this will be my last newsletter for the 49th Parliament. It has been an honour and privilege to serve the Botany Electorate as your local Member of Parliament for the past eight months. I appreciate the support the people of Botany gave me during the by-election in March and throughout the year.

There are two final topics I would like to share with you. Firstly on the proposed Mixed Ownership Model, and then on First Past the Post (as part of my on-going series on the options for the MMP referendum).

The Mixed Ownership Model
A lot has been said about National’s plan to extend the Mixed Ownership Model to four state-owned energy companies. I have heard some concern from voters that misinformation is being spread so I want to highlight the key parts of this policy to set the record straight.

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The Ross Report - November edition II

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:55:00 +1300

The Welfare Issue
Looking after those who are genuinely in need is the hallmark of a compassionate society. It is a responsibility the Government takes seriously, but we think we can do better.

At the moment we have a system which creates long-term welfare dependency and is open to abuse. The changes the Government has proposed will address these two key issues by switching the focus towards investing in job seekers and cracking down on welfare fraud.

We believe that if people are able to work then they should either be in employment or looking to be. We would create a new benefit type called ‘Jobseeker Support’ which would carry work expectations according to an individual beneficiary’s circumstance.

Sole parents will also face some changes. If a sole parents’ youngest child is between five and 14 the expectation would be that they could undertake part-time work. Those with children aged 14 and over would be supported through the ‘Jobseeker Support’.

There are of course people who do need continued Government support and cannot work - that assistance will be maintained under the new ‘Supported Living Payment’ which will take the place of the current Invalids Benefit and the DPB paid to those caring for the sick and infirm.

It is expected that these changes and the ones already made would result in 66,000 fewer people on welfare by 2016 and another 11,000 working part-time. These changes represent savings of $1 billion.

The Government’s welfare reform also intends to crack down on benefit fraud. Those who lie, cheat and steal from the current system suck resources from others genuinely in need. We want to increase the amount of data-matching between government agencies to help identify when those applying for benefits are lying about their income or identity.

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The Ross Report - November edition

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:53:00 +1300

Our children foremost for future focused fund.
This week the Government has announced that it will set up the exciting Future Investment Fund. The money from that fund will first and foremost go towards investing in our children’s education.

The mixed ownership model proposed for four of our state owned energy companies and Air New Zealand is expected to bring in $5 - $7 billion over the next three to five years. All of that money will be set aside in the Future Investment Fund and will be used to invest more in public assets and new infrastructure. This will allow for some very exciting possibilities which will grow our economy, improve public services and vitally; be paid for without putting an extra burden on taxpayers by borrowing from offshore.

I am pleased that the first task for the Future Investment Fund is to invest in all our children’s education with National’s $1 billion 21st Century Schools policy.

Schools are built to suit the best thinking in educational practices of their time and as these practices change so do our schools. I’m sure most people would agree that the better the environment our children are in the better their learning outcomes will be. That is why it is our goal to ensure that older schools will be able to provide the same learning outcomes as new schools regardless of when they were built.

To reach this goal the programme will include rejuvenating existing schools, building new, modern teaching areas in existing schools and wiring up many more schools with fibre to take advantage of ultra-fast broadband. This is no small endeavour and would not be possible without the significant investment from the Future Investment Fund.

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The Ross Report - October edition II

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:47:00 +1300

Minimising Rena’s effect
I want to begin by touching on the Tauranga shipping disaster that took place just over two weeks ago when MV Rena ran into the Astrolabe Reef. I realise there is some frustration over the disaster. It is something the whole country has been feeling as we’ve watched oil wash up on some of New Zealand’s most pristine beaches. Sadly the events which followed the accident have been inevitable but the Government has made it a priority to minimise the worst of its effects.

The salvage operation has been complicated. The pipes which service the heavy oil tanks in the ship’s keel were severely damaged by the impact with the reef. As a result there was an urgent need to build an alternative piping system to drain the tanks. Another priority was moving the oil from damaged bow tanks to the stern tanks. To make things more difficult there were also intrusions in the tanks making the job of getting the pumps in harder.

Since the disaster, the most responsible course of action has been to surround ourselves with the world foremost experts in marine salvage operations and follow their advice. I am sure we all wish the salvage and clean-up crews all the best for their on-going efforts.

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The Ross Report - October edition

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:55:44 +1300

Safer streets as crime drops
Recently I have been taking every opportunity to get out and about in Botany, talking to constituents and keeping in touch with what you want the Government to focus on. Time and again I am reminded that law and order, an issue I myself am passionate about, is foremost on people minds. I am pleased to be a part of a Government which is treating law and order as a priority and is working towards creating safer communities in New Zealand. This week we have seen the dividends of the Governments work as crime dropped 7 per cent per head of population during the fiscal year ended 30 June 2011.

Crime is not something we should have to accept as part of life and winning the fight against crime is a responsibility of good government. New initiatives, resources and sanctions have all contributed to the success we are seeing in the falling crime statistics. This Government is backing the Police with extra officers, legislation which sends a robust message to would-be offenders, and new tools such as Tasers and digital communications.

We are seeing the effects of this effort in our own backyard as recorded crime in Counties Manukau has dropped 6.1 per cent in the past year. The 300 extra police officers that National promised during the last election have been delivered and innovative approaches such as the neighbourhood police teams, which were set up a year ago, have no doubt contributed to the fall in crime.

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