Joseph Mooney - MP for Southland
Favourable conditions ahead
Spring is here and it has been a classic southern spring.
As flowers bloom and we enjoy some sunny days, we have also just had some of the best snow of the year. It’s sent a fresh ripple of excitement around the district, as minds start to turn toward the summer ahead.
The weather is playing its part, and so is the Government with common sense policies to bring more favourable conditions.
Visa rules and regulations have a big influence on Queenstown’s workforce and the area’s ability to operate. It is a win for our town to see a new visa pathway to help fill key seasonal roles called the Specific Purpose Work Visa (SPWV).
The pathway is another step toward creating a smarter, more responsive immigration system, making things easier for sectors needing seasonal workers - while giving New Zealanders the first opportunity for the jobs.
In healthcare the Government’s allocation of Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, and consultation on funding for 24 new treatments, is showing tangible results with new cancer drugs being funded from 1 October.
For example Keytruda—a highly anticipated drug—will be funded for eligible patients battling five different cancers: advanced triple-negative breast cancer, head and neck cancer, colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, and Hodgkin lymphoma.
This will be life-changing in many cases for New Zealanders suffering from those cancers.
Our Government is now investing a record $30 billion per year in health—the largest amount in New Zealand’s history. This funding is being strategically allocated to drive real and measurable improvements in health outcomes.
We are also focusing on enhancing literacy in early education. From October, schools and kura for Years 0-3 will receive between $500 to $5,000 annually over the next four years to acquire structured literacy resources.
This funding will support the purchase of decodable books and other high-quality materials, complementing existing free resources from the Ministry of Education.
Schools and kura will also be able to apply for more staffing resource for structured literacy in Years 0-2 to help students in their first years of learning.
By monitoring children’s progress and providing necessary resources, we aim to give every child a strong start in literacy, ultimately working to raise achievement and close the equity gap in our education system.
Having heard from educators in our region about the value of the structured literacy programs they have been delivering for years in some schools, I am proud of our Government moving to make it available to everyone.
While the recent polar blast may have kept the spring shoots from showing through on our skifields, the shoots of New Zealand’s recovery are showing as the Government continues to focus on delivering better public services, lowering inflation, rebuilding the economy and reducing the cost of living for all New Zealanders.
I hope your start to spring is a good one.
