1 July 2015

July changes will deliver for families

Chris Bishop, National List MP in the Hutt Valley, says a number of important government policies come into effect today that will help families in the Hutt and put more money in their pocket.

Around 25,000 children under the age of 13 in the Hutt Valley will now have access to free GP visits and prescriptions. Overall, this policy will benefit more than 750,000 children across the country.

“This is a significant boost to children and families in the Hutt, and is possible because of the prudent management of the government’s books over the past seven years. It means that parents will be able to take their kids to the doctor without having to worry about the cost. As a government, we’re committed to giving children the best start in life, and this is a key measure to help achieve that.

Families will also benefit from an increase in paid parental leave payments to $516.85 a week. Paid parental leave was also increased to 16 weeks on 1 April this year.

“Thanks to the government’s careful management of the ACC scheme, people who own a car are now paying up to $130 less per year to register a petrol car. For owners of diesel cars the saving is even greater – up to $170 a year. This will mean more money in the pocket for vehicle owners in our region.

“In the 2015 Budget, we also signalled the ACC motor vehicle levy, which includes the annual licence and petrol levies, will likely drop again next year, saving vehicle owners on average a further $75 a year.

“More funding is also being made available to hospices to help them expand their community palliative services to better support terminally ill people at home and in aged-care facilities. A further $4.6 million will be invested in the Wellington region.

“These changes will help families right around the Hutt Valley, and are possible due to the growing economy and the responsible management of the government’s books”, says Mr Bishop.

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