Privilege to showcase our region to international visitors: Rangitīkei MP Suze Redmayne

Minister for Transport Simeon Brown and Rangitīkei MP Suze Redmayne check out progress on the Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway.

Suze Redmayne is the MP for Rangitīkei.

OPINION

May was a busy and engaging month across the Rangitīkei electorate and in Wellington. From connecting with local leaders to celebrating community achievements and, of course, the release of Budget 2024 it’s been a period filled with notable events.

Budget 2024 delivers on the Coalition Government’s commitment to provide tax relief for hardworking New Zealanders and it is a key part of our plan to rebuild the economy, restore law and order, and deliver better health and education outcomes.

Starting on July 31, hardworking Kiwis will experience tax relief for the first time in 14 years. For an average-income family with two kids, that means up to $102 more in your pocket each fortnight, and up to an extra $150 for families with young children to help with childcare costs.

We’ve found billions in savings and have used those to make major investments in the public services Kiwis rely on. This includes $8 billion more into health services, nearly $3b into education, and $650 million to help restore law and order with 500 new police. Our investment is targeted at getting results such as shorter waiting times in emergency departments, fewer victims of crime, and more kids achieving and above where they should be in school.

Earlier in May, I had the privilege of hosting Chris Bishop for a day. We caught up with Manawatū District Mayor Helen Worboys and Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith. These discussions are essential for staying aligned with wider community priorities. The minister then joined us in Feilding as guest speaker at the Rangitīkei Lunch Club, where his insights and sense of humour were greatly appreciated by all attendees.

Later, we visited Feilding High School where we were joined by students from Nga Tawa Diocesan School and Rangitīkei College. It was wonderful to engage with the students and staff in a robust conversation about sport.

The following week, I spent a productive day with Simeon Brown. A highlight was visiting the under-construction Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway. This amazing feat of engineering features four lanes and a 10-degree gradient over 11.5km of highway. Witnessing the scale and progress of the construction was truly eye-opening.

We wrapped up with an insightful conversation on hydrogen at Palmerston North Airport with PEC chief executive Richard Coxon.

I joined a delegation of three visiting Ukrainian MPs and their ambassador to New Zealand on a visit to Linton Military Camp. Ōtaki MP Tim Costley, Palmerston North MP Tangi Utikere and I accompanied the delegation to meet with some of the military team who trained Ukrainian soldiers in England. Hitching a ride there and back in an NH90 helicopter with the Ōhakea-based No.3 Squadron was an amazing experience.

It’s a privilege to showcase our region to international visitors and to my ministerial colleagues. May has certainly been a month full of engagement and learning, and I look forward to continuing our efforts and building on these experiences in June.