September 2020

On recent Wednesday mornings from about 11am – 2:00pm at the St Patrick’s Catholic Church Parish Centre a group of women have been gathering to make Covid masks.

Wana Haumaha was concerned when she saw the 1000s of disposable masks being donated for use in South Auckland, a real environmental problem. She made contact with Swanie Nelson from the Otara Kai Village and asked if they would like reusable masks donated for distribution in the their area. After Mass she mentioned her suggestion of setting up a Sewing Bee to make reusable masks, and the following Wednesday 10 ladies arrived in the Parish Centre for their first mask making session.

“Basic materials come from sheets and duvet covers purchased from local Op Shops. For $2 we can make 100 masks,” said Wana.

The item hardest to procure is elastic, which there is a shortage of. 130m can cost $100. After making contact with Mavis and Cai from Cambridge a generous donation of 400m was donated. One mask uses about 50cm of elastic.

The first supply of 100 masks by the group to Otara was announced on Facebook there and these all went in one day.

A further 220 masks were delivered to Otara a week later and the ladies think that they will be in action for quite a while yet. Covid-19 does not appear to be going away in a hurry.

**Busy at the St Patrick’s Catholic Church Parish Centre.**

Whilst the urgency to provide masks to South Auckland has been obvious, the ladies have decided that in the future they will keep going and provide masks for those in our local area when required.

The group uses an informal assembly line approach but offers much more pattern and colour variety than the original Henry Ford one.

The happy group in action the day The Prattler visited all bring their own machines and mask make in a friendly cooperative atmosphere. Some make masks at home too. Oh and of course there is friendly chatter as they all pitch in.

Grey Power South Waikato held a Meet the Candidates meeting 10 September 1.30pm at the Plaza Theatre for the General Election 2020.

All Taupo and Te Tai Hauauru Electorates candidates were invited.

The candidates were invited to introduce themselves and answer a set of questions devised by South Waikato Grey Power Members.

No heckling or ad-lib questions from the floor were permitted but issues could be discussed individually over a cup of tea after the presentations.

There was an apology from the Green Party candidate Danna Glendining.

Labour candidate Ala’ Al Bustanji was delayed because of his involvement with Prime Minister Jacinda Adern in Taupo and planned to arrive as soon as he could. This was in fact when the Grey Power meeting had concluded, so those attending could still talk with him during afternoon tea.

Attending and speaking were:

**Vision spokesperson: Anne Williamson**

The following are notes taken during the candidate or spokesperson presentations that were based on actual party policies. Only recorded are those that addressed the questions supplied to each candidate by Grey Power. The red bold type statements are the questions that Grey Power asked each candidate to address.

Please refer to the websites links of each party of the conclusion of this news for official party policies.

What is your view on the establishment of an independent Commissioner for the Elderly (similar to the Commissioner for Children)?

Louise Upston: support a broad vision of all the issues elderly people face such as cheque use, health and care, digital inclusion

Naomi Pocock: no specific policy but more local decision making

Anne Williamson: support but whole area requires investigation

Tricia Lawrence: yes and also at cabinet level

What is your party planning to do to revise the structure of the Health system and reduce the current delays and waiting lists?

Louise Upston: not move decision making and accountability from the local community

Naomi Pocock: increase funding for aged care, increase community groups and hand mental health funding to these

David Freeman: give control of treatment back to the individual,

Jan-Marie Quinn: private insurance tax deductible, more individual control, health care based on need

Anne Williamson: a public health model

Tricia Lawrence: a cancer action plan

What will your party do to increase house construction and improve access to the purchase of starter homes by young couples?

Louise Upston: support new properties and subdivisions in Putaruru get waiting time down

Naomi Pocock: local approach

Jan-Marie Quinn: iwi need to come to the party for Maori families the core family unit

Tricia Lawrence: resource management act streamlined

How does your party intend to support older citizens so they can access banking, services and information as they become increasingly digitised?

Some comments in other sections…

What is your party’s policy on the economics and method of providing superannuation into the future?

Does your party consider initiatives to divert industry away from Auckland and into areas like South Waikato?

Louise Upston: attract more businesses here

Naomi Pocock: increase super and make sure its financially sustainable for the long term

David Freeman: increase retirement age to 67

Jan-Marie Quinn: improve for married couples

Tricia Lawrence: regional development fund

What is your party’s policy with regard to New Zealand resources, such as water, land, electricity, being exploited by foreign interests?

David Freeman: international investment

Tricia Lawrence: we will retain our assets

What is your party’s current thinking on reopening borders with other countries?

Jan-Marie Quinn: fully close the borders

Anne Williamson: close the borders

AUGUST PRATTLER CANDIDATE STATEMENTS

The Prattler is pleased to offer readers, statements provided by candidates from the Taupo electorate. Because the official candidate notifications to Vote NZ have not closed yet we have had to seek names from official party secretary lists.

Candidates were offered an opportunity to provide information about themselves and party beliefs to The Prattler. There was no compulsion for candidates to provide a statement to The Prattler but we thank very much and appreciate those that have.

The statements that follow are presented in random order.

GREEN PARTY: DANNA GLENDINING

Why voters should vote for you or the Green Party:

A Party vote for the Green Party will ensure that the Green Party can continue to encourage the incoming government to make transformational change for all of us and our natural environment. Covid-19 has highlighted inequalities in our society but has also shown that we can make big changes, fast.

Health: The Green Party believes in a publicly funded health system. It will provide free or low cost contraception, support drinking water-only policies in schools, hospitals and sports clubs, restrict junk food advertising to children, investigate levies on sugary drinks and support measures for New Zealand to be smoke-free by 2025.

Education: The Green Party supports adequately funded public education. Schools should become community hubs providing health and cultural services, internet access and pre-school and adult education. There should be increased funding for school lunches, te reo, high-needs children and outdoor education. Early childhood teachers should have pay equity.

Cannabis referendum: I shall vote in favour of the legalisation of cannabis. Consumption is already widespread throughout the country. Legalisation will enable efforts to be put into drug education and health issues rather than policing and punishment.

What will the Green Party do for the Taupo electorate?

The Green Party’s plan will benefit the Taupo electorate as it will all Aotearoa/NZ. Specifically: Encourage domestic tourism, to revitalise the sector and reduce the climate impact of international air travel; move heavy freight on to rail and off roads; invest in jobs for nature, especially pest control and more sustainable agriculture.

Transport: The Green Party will make electric vehicles cheaper, incentivise zero emission fuels for heavy vehicles, and move more freight to rail. It will improve the safety of roads, including for walking and cycling especially round schools, develop rapid, affordable bus services and upgrade intercity and regional rail.

Recovery from the effects of Covid-19

The Green Party responded to job losses by investing $1.3 billion to create thousands of jobs for nature over the next four years, including 6,000 jobs in conservation. It will encourage low impact recreation and ecotourism, institute stronger controls on vehicle camping and encourage visitors to use local accommodation providers.

End of Life referendum: I shall vote in favour of the legislation. People facing death should be able to choose the manner of their death. I believe there are sufficient safeguards to protect those with disabilities and other vulnerable people.

Mrs Glendining started her activism publicising the difficulties faced by people living in remote rural areas. She lobbied successfully for better mail, TV, and school bus services.

She has been very involved in issues relating to equal opportunities for women, including pay equity. She was Chair of the Government’s National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women (NACEW) and went to Australia on an ANZAC fellowship to study Equal Employment Opportunities. She was involved in the establishment of a Women’s Refuge in the Wairarapa.

Danna has had a number of senior roles in the Green Party, including managing their Parliamentary Office for four years and working as Executive Secretary for Green Leader, Rod Donald.

Mrs Glendining has lived in Taupo fifteen months. She is an active member of Taupo’s Creative Fibre group and Te Puawai o Te Raranga Roopu/the flax weaving group at Waitahanui.

ACT PARTY: DAVID FREEMAN

Let me start by saying I consider myself a worker rather than a politician. With the arrival of Covid 19 we are entering a new era where our lives and our future has changed like never before!

We are facing a situation that we have never experienced before, and this is going to require us to be both innovative and adaptive. This is the reason I am standing for the Act party.

It is time for a change and the Act party and David Seymour have common-sense solutions for our country’s current situation.

Act has a lot of great policies but my favourite has to be their Mental health policy! As a sufferer of PTSD there is finally a political party that is putting the sufferer in control. Amazing. I see a great future for us. It is way past time that the stigma of mental illness was removed from our society!

Education has also become another area of concern as with the current situation it will become necessary for people to retrain and seek new career paths. Acts education policy also focuses on getting those who normally miss out on education the opportunity to succeed.

The aim of myself for my electorate is to provide a voice that can be heard by the government. That anyone that brings me their concerns or challenges will get a result. While one cannot promise to always get the result that is wanted it will not be through lack of trying!

We have been given the chance to have our say on two referendum.

Legalizing Cannabis is one that I am having trouble deciding which way to go. The pros and cons are compelling. My concern is relying on the government no matter who it is to get the legislation right!

The End of Life referendum to me is much easier. I have seen too many people suffering horribly and believe that individuals should be allowed to decide their own fate.

It is amazing to me that we can decide to put a loved pet out of their suffering yet our family are made to suffer on!

NATIONAL PARTY: LOUISE UPSTON

We live in extraordinary times. Last year this time we could not have known what was to come when COVID-19 hit our shores and affected the world as we know it.

As recently as earlier this month, the issue hit very close to home when the Tokoroa and Taupo communities, albeit shell shocked by the news that COVID-19 came knocking on our town doors, banded together and showed the rest of the country what resilience under adversity looks like.

What is very clear is that what we do now as a community and a country will have an impact on us and generations to come.

I’m excited and committed to being your Taupo electorate National Party candidate. Over the past twelve years, it’s been a thrill working in the community as your MP and we have celebrated many successes together.

More importantly though, is what lies ahead of us and how we ensure that the benefits of what we have achieved so far, are not lost but preserved for generations to come.

I’m planning to further expand on my work and service to our electorate, should you give me the opportunity later this year.

Those of you who have met or know me will know that the people of the Taupo Electorate is very important to me and at the heart of all I do.

I believe that everybody deserves the best opportunities in life to succeed and that our investment in our people and our businesses is essential to ensure strong, resilient communities.

My role as the Spokesperson for Social Development and Social Investment gives me a good opportunity to drive policy thinking around how we support our people and communities to be safe and healthy while planning for resilience.

During the next parliamentary term, I’ll be increasing my focus on identifying more opportunities to connect the young people in our community with work and training opportunities.

Of course, successful communities depend on a successful economy to thrive.

National’s plan for 2020 and beyond includes opening up the economy as quickly as we can. We need to ensure we get people back to work as soon as we safely can. I believe that the primary driver for growth and jobs needs to be the private sector.

Covid-19 has dealt us a big blow but if we focus on ensuring our private sector is a strong partner to Government, we have a much better chance of getting our economy moving again, through creating jobs and lifting incomes.

To do so successfully requires a disciplined Government that creates an environment where businesses feel confident to invest and a mix of employment-friendly policies that make it easier to take on new people. We have been fortunate in Putaruru that again a strong rural sector has cushioned some of the worst effects of the economic downturn.

We need a strong focus on infrastructure so that we can get commerce and freight moving again while reducing congestion on our roads through a strong infrastructure plan.

I’ve been an avid fighter for infrastructure projects in our region. A critical, must-do project on my list is extending the time- and life-saving Waikato Expressway from Cambridge to Piarere. I’ll also continue to work with the Council and locals to get the housing developments underway which will ensure our community in Putaruru grows.

Infrastructure projects of course include school buildings and community facilities and I am in regular contact with the South Waikato District Council and the Waikato DHB servicing Putaruru to stay up to date with key projects in their annual and longer-term plans.

National’s core elements of our plan for New Zealand are:

• We will keep taxes and red tape low and grow incomes to help with your cost of living

• We will be responsible managers of the economy

• We will focus on growing the economy for all

• We will invest more in core public services like health and education

• Finally, we will create more jobs and opportunities for all New Zealanders

It was great to have leader Hon Judith Collins in the South Waikato recently. She launched our Conservation Policy at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, had a walkabout (albeit in the rain) in Tirau and had a chat to locals at Enchanted Café.

We managed to connect South Waikato locals who had been at school with Judith in Matamata and it was great to hear their stories.

Over the coming months, there will still be opportunities for you to meet me while making sure we meet physical distancing requirements. Many of you will have already caught up with me at one of the many Coffee Catch ups, Friendly Forums and other events I regularly host.

I’m committed to supporting you by continuing my engagement with you, listening to your views and taking those to Wellington to advocate for you.

Details of engagement opportunities are in my fortnightly MP e-newsletter, my website and on social media like Facebook and Instagram. If you are not already receiving my newsletters, you can sign up on my website www.louiseupston.co.nz

Mon 5 Oct – Fri 9 Oct	10am – 4pm
Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct	10am – 4pm

It’s celebrations too for Putaruru Arts & Crafts in Princes Street. For them it is 45 years of business in Putaruru.

The November Prattler will feature articles on both these Putaruru businesses.

The 2020 General Election

Putaruru, Arapuni and Tirau are in the Taupo Electorate.

This is a breakdown of the voting rolls for the electorate. Official Candidates for the Taupo Electorate (in alphabetical order) are:

AL-BUSTANJI, Ala’ Labour Party

COFFIN, Gary Michael ONE Party

DOWNARD, Micheal NZ Outdoors Party

FREEMAN, David ACT New Zealand

GLENDINING, Danna Green Party

JAMES, Antoinette Advance NZ

QUINN, Jan-Marie New Conservative

UPSTON, Louise National Party

PRIOR VOTING POLLING BOOTH LOCATION

Putaruru Contract Bridge Club 3 Overdale Street

Opening hours:

Mon 5 Oct – Fri 9 Oct

10am – 4pm

Mon 12 Oct – Fri 16 Oct