Excerpts from Whanganui speech
Whanganui RSA
170 St Hill Street, Central, Whanganui 4500
2pm, July 4, 2017

TOURISM GST BACK TO WHANGANUI
Tourism is bringing in millions of dollars to the Whanganui economy.
In the year ended July 2016 it totalled about $115 million, according to data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
To ensure Whanganui gets full benefit from this, NZ First will return the GST component paid by international tourists in the Whanganui area to the region.
This money could be used for tourism infrastructure as well as roads and to stimulate job training and opportunities.
The government took $1.5 billion in GST from international visitors in the year to March 2016, and $950m the year before, yet little has gone to councils that desperately need money for toilets, sewerage schemes and local road improvements to cope with tourist numbers.

ROYALTIES TO THE REGIONS - WHANGANUI
Under our Royalties from the Regions policy, no less than 25 percent of any royalties collected by the government from water, mining, petroleum or extraction in a region would be returned to that region.
As an example, the government collects over $400 million in royalties.
Under our scheme over $100 million, year on year, would remain in the regions for investment.
It is demonstrably wrong that companies like Coca Cola, Suntory Holdings, Oravida, Fiji Water – can take our water for a pitiful token fee while they make millions of dollars from it.
National says no-one owns the water – so foreign companies can come in and take it.
DAIRY – ADDED VALUE
Dairy is our second biggest export earner behind tourism and is a major player in the Wanganui economy.
You would think we would have total control of this vitally important industry. We don’t. We are steadily losing the added-value of our dairy produce,
Chinese companies Evergrand, Synlait, Yashili, Yili/Oceania Dairy and the Chinese controlled Mautaura Valley Milk have tied up Infant Formula production here.
China own, operate and control the supply chain from New Zealand to the baby’s mouth in China.

MAORI WARDS

The call to establish Maori wards continues.
We had the case of former New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd trying to establish one.
The Green Party says Labour will support its member’s bill to create Maori wards in local government.
Given that the National Party supported non-elected Maori representation on the Auckland Super City, and ACT’s Rodney Hide, as minister, pushed it through, National will also support the Local Electoral (Equitable Process for Establishing Maori Wards and Maori Constituencies) Amendment Bill that will soon be before Parliament.
New Zealand First wishes to make it very clear – we oppose race-based politics at central and local government level and stand for equal representation for all, regardless of wealth, race or gender.

MT WHITE STATION
National has sat by and allowed the sell-off of some of New Zealand’s most pristine farmland.
In recent days we have learned iconic Mt White station near Arthur’s Pass in the South Island is likely to be snapped up by foreign buyers.
Recreational groups are worried public access could be denied them and this happens every time a station goes under the hammer to a foreign buyer.
Sales of land to foreign owners went through the roof last year.
Foreign buyers snapped up 465,863 hectares in 2016, compared to 79,897 hectares sold to foreigners in 2015
Where is the gain for New Zealand?
Our preference is for New Zealanders to farm and look after the land for generations to come.
National is so pro overseas ownership they voted against our Bill to set up a register of land and house ownership.
ENDS

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