Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi –
People care about the quality of delivery of government services in our community.
Constituents tell me that they want to know how children are achieving at school. They want to live in a peaceful New Zealand.
They care that our health system treats patients promptly and effectively.
Constituents are also taxpayers. They want to know that the public sector is spending money carefully and on services that make a difference.
Challenging targets
Three years ago, Prime Minister John Key set 10 challenging targets for the public service to achieve over the next few years.
These targets are focused on complex issues such as welfare dependency, crime, child abuse, and educational achievement.
Some of these are extremely difficult targets but we believe in challenging our public services to get better results.
Record results
National is achieving record results in health.
We have also boosted elective operations, reduced waiting times for cancer treatment and emergency care, and put more doctors and nurses on the frontline.
We want all children to leave school with the skills they need to reach their potential in the modern economy. This approach is working with all three education Better Public Service targets showing meaningful progress over the last three years.
Declining crime
We also want New Zealanders to feel safe. Since June 2011, total crime, violent crime and youth crime have dropped 17.6%, 9.1% and 37.3% respectively, with the rate of reoffending dropping by 9.6%.
For example, the previously increasing trend for assaults on children has been successfully flattened but more needs to be done to see it reduce.
Progressive path
Our challenge is to keep progressing. There is still a lot of work to do and National will continue to focus on the things that matter to New Zealanders.
In addition to providing better public services increasing the supply of new housing, particularly in Auckland, is one of the most important things the Government can do to help out Kiwi families.
Housing accords
Unlike previous governments, who put this in the too-hard basket, National is actually doing something about it.
The Government has now signed Housing Accords with eight councils around the country to speed up housing development.
We are freeing up more land for residential development through our Special Housing Areas and we’re working with local councils to speed up consenting.
There is record investment in building apprenticeships and the Government has removed tariffs on building materials. There has been an 81% increase in building consents nationally since 2011. About $14.6 billion worth of building work was carried out last year – a 21% increase on the previous year.
Property gains
A bill to help Inland Revenue enforce the tax rules around property is now before Parliament. It includes two measures to take effect on October 1 to help ensure everyone – whether New Zealanders or from overseas – pays their fair share of tax on property gains.
Buyers and sellers of property will have to provide their IRD numbers at the time of property transfer. There will be an exemption for New Zealand residents’ main home.
And to ensure our anti-money laundering rules apply, we will require overseas people to have a New Zealand bank account to get an IRD number.
The Budget has also confirmed that we will consider freeing up more Crown-owned land in Auckland for housing.
Although there is still a lot of work to do National will continue to focus on things that matter to New Zealanders.
It is all part of our plan to build a brighter future and deliver better results for families.
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi has been a Member of Parliament on National List since November 2008. He is also currently Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Law & Order. Please read another story on the front-page of this issue.
