The 50th Parliament wrapped up last week. It’s been a busy term with more than 330 pieces of legislation passed – 51 of them in the past year – and thousands of questions answered by our Prime Minister and Ministers.
I’ve enjoyed my time in the debating chamber and especially on select committees where MPs engage with New Zealanders on issues that matter to us all. This public engagement in making policy is a real strength of our democratic system.
New Zealanders don’t just come to MPs. We go to them and I’m looking forward to the election campaign when I’ll be out door-knocking, dodging dogs, and talking to New Zealanders about what concerns and motivates them. Most importantly, I’ll be talking about National’s policies, our record of stable and purposeful leadership, and my view that returning a National government on September 20 is the best way to ensure that New Zealand keeps growing.
In politics there are a lot of sideshows. Those are inevitable. Ultimately, voters judge what matters and what doesn’t, and who’s competent and who isn’t. Most importantly, the public decides who they trust, and who they don’t.
Whatever’s been in the headlines over this Parliamentary term, National has focused on what matters.
John Key’s strong political leadership, National’s sensible, forward-focussed policies and the hard-work and entrepreneurship of New Zealanders have come together, and we’re seeing the results. All sorts of things we might once have thought difficult, are now happening.
Jobs and wages are growing and we have one of the highest growth rates among the world’s developed economies. Our better public services are supporting the most vulnerable New Zealanders and every week about 1500 people are coming off welfare to take up paid work. Exports are high, inflation is low, we’re on track to surplus, more houses are being built and fewer New Zealanders think the future’s brighter in Australia.
There’s a positive mood in our country, and National’s leadership has had a big hand in creating that.
So we’re heading into the election on 20 September focused on building on the gains that New Zealanders are enjoying. If we keep going, New Zealand will keep growing.
Authorised by Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi MP, 1/131 Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland” at the end before printing/publishing the column.