Judith Collins – Column Round Up 26 July 2006

Judith Collins – Column Round Up 26 July 2006

Judith Collins Clevedon MP 26 July 2006

Thank you to all who signed my petition for more police for Counties Manukau. I am delighted that just over 5,500 people in my Electorate support my call for more police officers in Counties Manukau.

I presented this petition to Parliament last week where it will b

e tabled. Then it will go on to a select committee to be considered. I am not holding my breath on getting our police rates up to the same as elsewhere in New Zealand, as the Minister of Police seems more interested in speeding tickets. But we need to support the police in regard to the great job they do for us all.

Transpower Grinds on and no resolution seems in sight. There is also no explanation as to why we can't run a cable up the bed of the Waikato River. The power cut in Auckland from June was blamed (by the Government, including Helen Clark in Parliament) on the farmers and their supporters. So much for the D shackle! Clearly, it is our job to maintain the Otahuhu substation and not Transpower's. This Government does not seem too worried about the people of Waikato and Clevedon. They seem remarkably unconcerned with the effect on the Ardmore Airport and the trainee flyers as well.

PC Nonsense is Bizzare. I find the stance taken by the Kaiapoi Aquatic Centre absolute nonsense. This was where a mother changing her 16 month old daughter by the side of the pool in order to keep a watchful eye on her other young children that were swimming, was told that there was a ban on child nudity.

Then as if that was not one of the most ridiculous things I had heard, in Auckland the father and mother of three children were stopped from videoing their one year old son going down the pool slide for the first time. Clearly, people need to get a life.

National has launched a new website www.wastewatch.co.nz highlighting examples of the Labour Government's wasteful spending. The website records the classic examples of Labour's wastefulness and will be continually updated with new examples. National in Government would eliminate wasteful spending of taxpayers' hard-earned money, return some of it to those who earned it, and ensure the rest is spent wisely. This newsletter is available on my website www.judithcollins.co.nz . If you have a friend who wishes to subscribe to this newsletter or if you wish to unsubscribe from this newsletter please send an email to clevedon.electorate.office@xtra.co.nz

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Judith Collins Family and Welfare Spokeswoman

26 July 2006 Working Hard for Families

New Zealand has an appalling record on child abuse. Breaking the cycles of intergenerational welfare dependency, drug and alcohol addictions and family violence starts with putting children first.

In 1994, when New Zealand was sixth worst in the word for child abuse Helen Clark said it was 'shameful' and more than 'rhetoric' was needed. Today we have slumped to the third worst child abuse rate in the world. We can't bury our heads in the sand. The Labour Government has to face up to this issue, no matter how difficult it may be for all concerned.

The Government's plan to target clusters of beneficiaries to ensure welfare payments aren't being misused is too little, too late. It's a step in the right direction but unfortunately it took a couple more babies to die before the Government acknowledged the problem. They have had seven years to do something about intergenerational welfare dependency but they have done nothing. The targeting is likely to consist of more handholding and meetings.

National is investigating "smart cards" to help those beneficiaries who are having problems meeting their obligations as parents. This wouldn't have to be for everybody who is a beneficiary. Estimates are that 12-15% of beneficiaries are not meeting their obligations to their children and it is these children's families that would need targeting. The idea is to have a portion of the benefit to be used for food and necessities. It is being trialled in Australia. We should keep an open mind about whether it might assist here. I would be interested in your comments on such an initiative.

PC Nonsense is Bizzare I find the stance taken by the Kaiapoi Aquatic Centre absolute nonsense. This was where a mother changing her 16 month old daughter by the side of the pool in order to keep a watchful eye on her other young children that were swimming, was told that there was a ban on child nudity.

Then as if that was not one of the most ridiculous things I had heard, we have the father and mother of three children who were stopped from videoing their one year old son going down the pool slide for the first time. Clearly, people need to get a life.

The Anti Smacking Bill is back in the headlines. I was shocked to see that Sweden, long held up as the anti smacking example, has five times as many children in state care than us. They have twice as many children under 18 years. Currently New Zealand has 5000 children in state care. Do we really want or need 12,500 in state care?

ENDS