May the Festival brighten our future

John Key is Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Diwali marks an important date in the Hindu and New Zealand communities.

While it is the start of the Hindu New Year, Diwali also comes at a time when we look forward to longer and warmer days.

I always enjoy attending Diwali celebrations. 

The vibrant and colourful entertainment, the warm and welcoming spirit, and the chance to celebrate this uniquely Indian festival make it a must-do for many Kiwis.

Our country is an increasingly diverse and vibrant nation and the National-led Government wants all New Zealanders to play a part in our communities and our economy. 

I value the strong relationship that National has with our Indian communities. 

We are working hard to ensure that your voice is heard at the highest levels of Government. 

Like you, I am ambitious for our country.

National is determined to secure a brighter future for all New Zealanders. 

Our economy is showing signs of recovery, but I know many families are still struggling.

There is a lot of work to do if we are to have a strong recovery that leads to sustainable jobs, creates growth, and provides real choices and opportunity for all New Zealanders.

For many people, the recession’s most obvious effect is unemployment. Despite economic conditions improving, unemployment is expected to keep rising for some time.

National is concerned about job losses, which is why the Government has put in place a number of initiatives during the recession to support jobs across the country.

We are increasing spending on front-line public services, particularly in health, education, and justice as well as continuing to roll out our $323 million home insulation and heating package, Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart.

We have introduced a Youth Opportunities package, which will provide almost 17,000 new job and training opportunities for young people.

We are also maintaining all entitlements to income support.

Our investment in these areas is helping maintain activity, support jobs, and give people a degree of security during these tough times.

At the same time, we have put in place measures to keep government debt from skyrocketing.
As the economy begins to recover, we need to look at how to boost sustainable jobs and economic growth in the longer-term. 

Our focus will be on lifting productivity, business investment, and exports.

It is important to me, as I am sure it is for you, that New Zealand is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. 

National will continue to listen to your concerns as we work towards that goal.

I hope you enjoy celebrating Diwali. 

I look forward to seeing you at one of the festivals I will be attending this year.