Keeping a careful eye on spending
Parliament was in recess last week, which meant I was able to spend more time than usual out and about.
Among other activities, I presented retiring Kapiti JP Graham Brown with his badge for nearly 20 years of service to the local community. Well done Graham.
I also met with staff from Life to the Max Horowhenua, was in Foxton to discuss the local medical trust, and attended the old Levin Courthouse garden party on the weekend.
I also made a couple of quick trips around the country. As Minister of Immigration, I visited Christchurch to meet with staff and students from English language schools. These schools attract international students who are an important contributor to the economy, and I wanted to see how they are faring since the earthquakes.
It was also important for me to meet with local groups to discuss the number of migrants that will be needed to help with the rebuild.
On Friday I visited forestry plantations in Napier as part of my role as Associate Minister for Primary Production, looking after forestry.
It was also a busy week politically with Prime Minister John Key making a major speech on improving public services.
This Government is focussed on investment that will make a real difference. It’s taxpayers who pay the bills for our police, education and health services. They need to know that the public sector is spending money with the same kind of care they would.
This is why the Prime Minister has announced some big changes. He has set the public sector 10 challenging results to achieve over the next three to five years:
• Reduce the number of people who have been on a working age benefit for more than 12 months.
• Increase participation in early childhood education.
• Increase infant immunisation rates and reduce the incidence of rheumatic fever.
• Reduce the number of assaults on children.
• Increase the proportion of 18-year-olds with NCEA level 2 or equivalent qualification.
• Increase the proportion of 25-34 year olds with advanced trade qualifications, diplomas and degrees (at level 4 or above).
• Reduce the rates of total crime, violent crime and youth crime.
• Reduce re-offending.
• New Zealand businesses have a one-stop online shop for all government advice and support they need to run and grow their business.
• New Zealanders can complete their transactions with the Government easily in a digital environment.
This is a brave and bold move to set actual targets that we can measure. This information will be publicly available, so New Zealanders will be able to judge for themselves how well results are being achieved.
People I talk to around the electorate want to know that we are getting the best value for their hard-earned tax dollars, and these changes are a big step towards that.