Hon Jo Goodhew - In Focus
MP for Rangitata

The last couple of days in the electorate have been busy and varied.
On Monday I spent some time talking about progress towards Smokefree 2025 with Cancer Society health promoters in Ashburton. While there is still plenty of work to do, there has been great progress towards this target.
Later in the day I had the pleasure of opening a new multi-purpose room at Mt Somers Springburn School. The school also opened a new toilet block and farewelled their long-time bus driver Ian Huggins.
On Tuesday I spoke to a Year 10 social studies class at Timaru Girls High School about the role of an MP and Minister and in the afternoon hosted one of my regular get-togethers for seniors at the Margaret Wilson Home in Timaru.
The day concluded with an opportunity to meet with and speak to a group of South Canterbury small business owners.

Budget 2016: Investing in our growing economy
Budget Day, 26 May, is fast approaching.
In a pre-budget speech, Finance Minister Bill English indicated his eighth budget will have a strong focus on investing in our growing economy.
It will advance the Business Growth Agenda put in place over recent years to facilitate a more productive, innovative, and competitive economy.
It will also include another significant expansion in investment in essential social services to meet the needs of our growing population, while offering more direct support for the most vulnerable New Zealanders.
New Zealand’s economy is outperforming many others, and our public finances are significantly stronger than many governments overseas. But there is always more to do.
The Government will remain focused on growing the economy, while reducing the Crown’s debt burden.

More kids to get teacher aide help
An extra 1250 Kiwi children will get help from teacher aides thanks to a $15.3 million Budget 2016 funding increase for in-class support.
The funding will ensure students with a range of learning difficulties can receive support tailored to their individual learning needs.
Together with the increased funding in last year’s Budget, the Government is now funding an extra 550,000 hours of classroom support for students with additional learning needs.
The operating funding increase will be spread over four years, and we will be looking to expand funding for more teacher aides in future Budget rounds.
National is focused on raising achievement for all our children, ensuring we are delivering better education services which meet the needs of every child.

Increased funding for Pharmac
Recently we announced an extra $39 million investment in Pharmac for 2016/17 and an extra $124 million over the next four years. On top of Government’s extra $39 million for 2016/17, $11 million will be injected into Pharmac’s annual budget by DHBs.
Pharmac’s budget for 2016/17 will be a record $850 million – this means the Government has increased Pharmac’s budget by $200 million since 2008.
This increase in funding will allow the government agency to provide more New Zealanders with access to new medicines. It will also provide Pharmac with more options on new medicines it can fund.
Funding medicines that help people live longer and better lives is what Pharmac is all about. And when somebody in your family is sick, you want to know they’ll be able to get the best drugs available.
In 2014/15 around 3.5 million New Zealanders received a funded medicine - 100,000 more than the previous year. Pharmac has advised they are currently considering funding around 50 new drugs, vaccines and devices.

New Zealand’s largest pest control operation announced
This winter, the National-led Government will launch the largest pest control operation in New Zealand’s history.
Battle for our Birds 2016 will receive $20.7 million in operating funding from Budget 2016, helping to fight back against a pest population boom caused by a heavy forest seeding.
Vulnerable species including great spotted, brown and tokoeka kiwi, kaka, whio/blue duck, mohua/yellowhead and giant snails will be brought to the brink of localised extinction with whole populations wiped out if nothing is done.
Battle for our Birds 2016 will see the Department of Conservation ramp up pest control by 500,000 hectares to cover more than 800,000 hectares, with aerial 1080 operations backed by on-going trapping and ground control programmes.
We need to protect our native species for future generations.

Upcoming events
20 May – speak at Southern Wood Forestry Awards, Dunedin

21 May – speak at Century Farm & Station Awards, Lawrence

23 May – attend Pink Ribbon Breakfast & constituency work, Timaru

24 - 26 May – Parliament sitting

26 May – Budget Day

28 May – speak at RSA Ashburton Centennial celebrations

30 May – constituency work, Ashburton

ends

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