National MPs ‘knuckling down’ in lead-up to Christmas

Dana Kirkpatrick, new East Coast MP, is relaxed about preparing her maiden speech which she plans to give in the new year. File picture

National’s Dana Kirkpatrick, sworn in yesterday as the new MP for East Coast, is working on her maiden speech.

But there is no urgency.

Like her Labour colleague, the Ikaroa-Rawhiti MP Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, Ms Kirkpatrick has asked to deliver her maiden speech in the new year.

She has written much of it.

“But you chop and change, and things may change over time.”

National MPs have been told they will be busy before Christmas, she said.

“We will be down there knuckling down.”

She has expressed strong confidence in the Government’s 100-day plan.

“The plan is sound,” she said. “We’ve had some good feedback.”

The plan includes repeal of the Water Services Entities Act (ex Three Waters),  and Fair Pay Agreement legislation, removal of the Auckland regional fuel tax and the clean car discount, stopping central government work on Auckland light rail and blanket speed limit reductions, and disestablishing the  Māori Health Authority.

Another component of the plan is scrapping the banning of cigarette sales next year to anyone born after 2008, which has become a high-profile issue.

“The issue has become about tax,” Ms Kirkpatrick said.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has said the money saved would help pay for the Government’s tax cuts.

“But it’s not about tax,” said Ms Kirkpatrick.

New Zealand had a highly regulated smoking environment.

The new Government was not walking away from public health initiatives such as smoking cessation programmes.

“People should take comfort from that.”

Ms Kirkpatrick said Labour’s policy would have been “relatively difficult to enforce” and there were concerns over black market activity.

“We also need to remember smoking is a choice and it is difficult to quit.

“The Government wants smoking rates to come down, and they are.”

Ms Kirkpatrick said local farmers and tradies would be happy with the abolition of the clean car discount known by some as “the ute tax”.

(The clean car discount is paid for by levies on high-emission vehicles.)

Ms Kirkpatrick said the former 90-day trial period for employers to hire new employees and then be able to dismiss them without reason would be brought back.

She said most employers were good employers who would not abuse the system.

Good and hard-working employees would have nothing to worry about.

Repealing Three Waters and the Natural and Built Environment Act and the Spatial Planning Act (Labour’s Resource Management Act replacements) would happen quickly, she said.