Election focus must lock on to key issues

Anna Wallis Photo/File

THE election date has been announced and we have been told it will not clash with major events.

Going to the electorate in September will skirt holidays, test rugby, and international commitments around the G20 meeting and consequential visits by world leaders.

Hopefully it won't skirt the issues. For Wanganui it is about jobs: keeping the jobs - and services - we have and creating new opportunities.

Getting people off benefits is not enough. Those figures may go down for various reasons, including people not getting any assistance and relying on families for money. There needs to be an increase in the number of people actually in work in Wanganui.

And we need to make sure young people are moved smoothly from school into training or employment, or stay at school until they have the skills to move on to the next step.

The visit to the city by minister Steven Joyce on February 27 highlighted Wanganui's potential. The R&D monies paid to Tasman Tanning for ground-breaking research into leather products was something we all could be proud of. Equally Q-West advertising for staff in the Taranaki daily newspaper is a swing in the right direction.

For a stable, prosperous region, people need jobs that pay enough to live well. There are many advantages to the region, including one of the most temperate climates in the world and good, cheap housing. Thousands of people love living here and we want to keep them and attract others.

We can have all the discussions we like about a new flag or MPs' clothing choices. But the issue this election should be about educating and training our young, reducing income gaps and ensuring the regions keep pace with the major cities' prosperity.

It may be too dull a topic for prime time but it will shape how our New Zealand looks in the future.