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The amazing support from Southlanders after the Canterbury earthquake last week went beyond what anyone could imagine.
Organisers of a Southland drive for clothes, household equipment and other essentials for relocated families were overwhelmed with the generosity of locals. Our emergency services staff headed north, and people offered themselves to help selflessly.
Many of us have family in the Christchurch region, and the destruction has been raw and affected all. Kiwis in a time of crisis really do throw all hands to the pump, and while we may feel helpless, it’s the little things that make a difference.
In helping dislocated Cantabrians, we are doing our bit. Reading and hearing of what we in the deep South have contributed to the relief effort makes me proud to be a Southlander and a New Zealander.
My thoughts and prayers go out to all those people in Christchurch affected by yesterday’s tragedy. While most numbers are known, just in case you don’t have them:
The Red Cross has established a Person Enquiry Line on 0800 733 276 or 0800 RED CROSS. For enquiries outside New Zealand the number is + 64 7 850 2199.
Google has launched a people finder page and on Twitter people can find loved ones or let them know they’re alright on #eqnzcontact.
Health Minister Tony Ryall spoke recently about the ‘Canterbury Initiative’, a clear example of shifting the National-led Government’s priorities to front line health.
He talked about a Canterbury GP who in conjunction with his practice nurse, started a patient with Type 2 Diabetes on insulin recently, and found it wasn’t as difficult as he thought it would be. Previously the GP would have referred the patient to a hospital diabetologist to do this.
Making better clinical pathways is just one part of improving frontline health services. The ACC’s Better@Work pilot, which has doctors and patients working together to get injured people back to work, is getting good reviews.
Better use of our health dollars has come up with some innovative ideas that are working.
The news that the number of 18-25 year olds studying at tertiary level has increased markedly since 2008 is good for New Zealand.
The National Government has made it clear that world-class skills and knowledge that will get our people ahead in life are vital to our economic growth plan.
In Southland, we are blessed to have SIT leading the way and helping us retain Southlanders and recruit outsiders to work and study here.
The other key aspect to all of this is having jobs after training is completed. Our plans, such as the 90-day trial period, have already shown increases in employment, but we need to keep working on creating the right economic climate where employment in the South remains a strong option for our students.
New Zealand will go to the polls on 26 November, five weeks after the Rugby World Cup final.
Prime Minister John Key announced the general election date this week to create certainty around the tournament, which begins in September.
National will be campaigning on our record as responsible managers of the economy. We are taking clear steps to get the country’s debt under control and to put the right incentives into the economy to drive faster real growth.
The election will also be about building greater value for money in public services, and who has the better plan to build a safer New Zealand.
Over the coming months we will keep developing and implementing our programme to build the brighter future New Zealanders and their families deserve.
John Key’s announcement over partial mixed-ownership models of state-owned enterprises has sparked a lot of debate. The Government would only go ahead with a mixed-ownership model for these companies only if it meets the following five tests:
We would maintain a majority controlling stake by owning more than 50%; New Zealand investors would be at the front of the queue for shareholdings, and the Government would need widespread and substantial New Zealand share ownership; the companies involved would have to present good opportunities for investors; the capital freed up would be used to fund new public assets and reduce the pressure on the Government to borrow; we would have to be satisfied that regulations adequately protected New Zealand consumers.
We’ll keep you informed, and we’ll seek a mandate from you before proceeding with any change.
Eric Roy 