Tolley Talk: May 2016

This year I attended the Kawerau Dawn Service at Rautahi Marae, and the Whakatane Civic Service at the Memorial Hall.

Hon Anne Tolley
MP for East Coast

Anzac Services
This year I attended the Kawerau Dawn Service at Rautahi Marae, and the Whakatane Civic Service at the Memorial Hall. Both were a chance to reflect on the service of military personal, both past and present, and the sacrifice they made for their country.

At the Kawerau service I spoke of my grandfather, who joined the ANZACs in England after leaving the Rhodesian Rifles and landed in Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. He went on to serve at the French front lines and was transported back to New Zealand at the end of the war, before returning to Rhodesia and his family.
It was heartening to see so many of you attending services in our electorate. Anzac Day means a lot to so many New Zealanders and I hope we continue to share the stories of our past.

Remembering our service men and women at Dawn Service at Ruatahi Marae in Kawerau.

Tax changes for small businesses
Prime Minister John Key announced changes to our tax system to cut compliance costs for small businesses.
Among the highlights are the reformation of provisional tax, with the introduction of a new pay-as-you-go option that will give up to 110,000 small businesses a way to pay tax as they earn income from 1 April 2018.
Use-of-money interest will be eliminated or reduced for the vast majority of taxpayers, and contractors will be able to choose a withholding tax rate that suits their needs, rather than having one set for them.
You can have your say on the proposals before they are finalised at www.makingtaxsimpler.ird.govt.nz by 30 May.

Overhauling child protection
Cabinet has agreed to the next steps in the overhaul of New Zealand’s child protection system. The outcomes for children and young people in care are terrible, and we need to rebuild the system focused on the needs of the child.
The new operating model will have five core services – prevention, intensive intervention, care support services, transition support and youth justice.
It will put the voice of the child at the centre, allow for the direct purchasing of vital services, recognise and respond to trauma, and support young people through to adulthood.
Children and young people come into care through no fault of their own, and we need to support them to live in stable, loving homes so they can thrive.

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