It's been a sporty, colourful, full-on couple of weeks in the electorate and in Parliament. A big shout-out to the Horse of the Year team for hosting a successful event in Hastings.
It was so good to see the crowds pile into the Tōmoana Showgrounds for Defender Horse of the Year. It’s New Zealand’s largest equestrian event and attracts thousands from across the country.
It was great to see international riders competing in the Olympic Cup.
OUT AND ABOUT
Celebrating culture and color
I had such a lot of fun celebrating Holi-a popular and significant Hindu festival celebrated as the festival of colours, love, and spring.
It celebrates the eternal and divine love of the deities Radha and Krishna. I spent the day amongst the richness of culture and diversity which makes-up our region. Hastings truly came alive. Our Hastings community is enriched by many cultures and it's growing, and I am proud to be its local MP.
Celebrating our volunteers
Hundreds of local volunteers alongside Father John and Reverend Sue, brought the community together at the St Luke’s Fair!
I was honoured to open the fair with a traditional sponge throw to soak the Vicar!
A lot of fun and many laughs, raising money for the church and the charity work they do locally and internationally!
What a fabulous day with so many donations from local businesses and farmers - supporting community! Thank you to all the incredible volunteers making it all possible.
Parents vs Kids swim
My son Hugo got bragging rights as he won the 'much-anticipated' Parents vs Kids Race at swimming sports, fair and square against Mum. Some great family rivalry at the pool, and a great event to participate in.
Investing in Hawke's Bay
Congratulations to Lattey Group for the opening of your new building at Irongate.
It was a privilege to be part of the opening and speak about our government’s plans to build infrastructure faster and more efficiently and be innovative about funding infrastructure in NZ!
Hawke’s Bay companies like Lattey are investing and growing and providing jobs and opportunities for our region and must be celebrated.
Discussing healthcare in Hawke's Bay
It was great to catch up with our Hawke’s Bay Regional Director of Health NZ David Warrington, to discuss healthcare in the region and look at where the new 28 in-patient bed unit will be built and the new Linac Cancer Treatment Machine, as well as the refurbishment of the radiology department.
Our government has invested more than $90 million in the Hawke's Bay hospital in the last few months as we work hard to improve outcomes for patients.
Starting the day energised!
The Parly Ferns are back!!
I got the chance to sneak in an early morning netball practice on the forecourt of Parliament. Great way to start the day with this awesome team.
Chairing the Environment Select Committee
Last week we heard the final submissions on the RMA Amendment Bill.
RMA reform is so important as we need to get things build faster and more efficiently. Consenting is taking far too long and costing far too much. We have a major infrastructure deficit in New Zealand and must get on and build infrastructure.
Members Bill in the spotlight, appearing on TVNZ Q&A
I am continuing my advocacy for Mum's and babies with 3-days post-natal care with my private Members Bill aired on TVNZ on March 9.
My Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) (3 Day Postnatal Stay) Amendment Bill entitles women to 72 hours of funded, inpatient post-natal care.
Currently women are entitled to 48 hours of funded inpatient post-natal care, but many are unaware of this right and may feel pressured to leave early.
The bill will extend this entitlement to 72 hours, if needed. It also introduces a mandatory requirement for Lead Maternity Carers to inform mothers of their choices.
Watch the interview here- Could MP's traumatic birth story lead to change? | Q+A 2025
GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
The National-led Government has sent a clear message that New Zealand is open for business, and that message was received at the first Investment Summit.
By building world-class infrastructure, we can turbocharge economic growth to create jobs, lift wages, and reduce the cost of living. This is especially true for Hawke's Bay, where we have invested in infrastructure including four-laning of the Hawke's Bay Expressway, and the Tukituki water Storage Scheme.
New Zealand is open for business – and the Summit showcased a strong pipeline of projects to grow the economy and reduce our infrastructure deficit.
We are backing businesses by fast-tracking major infrastructure projects and ensuring we can attract more capital. This gives Kiwi businesses more support to grow, expand, and compete globally.
Public consultation opens on procurement rules
The people running small and medium-sized businesses in this Hawke's Bay are some of the most innovative and hardworking around. Every year, the Government spends more than $50 billion on goods, services, and infrastructure projects. Right now, many small and medium-sized businesses struggle to compete for these contracts due to unnecessary red tape.
We’re fixing that by:
• Introducing an ‘economic benefit’ test, requiring government agencies to consider how awarding a contract benefits New Zealand, such as creating jobs, growing businesses, or supporting exports.
• Reducing the number of procurement rules from 71 to 47, cutting unnecessary requirements that make the process complex and time-consuming.
• Making it easier for capable Kiwi businesses to win smaller contracts by removing barriers to entry.
Public consultation on these changes is open until April 8, and after that, Cabinet will make final decisions.
I encourage you to review the proposed changes and provide feedback at www.procurement.govt.nz.
New fund to attract international business events
The Government is investing an additional $3 million from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy to secure more business events for New Zealand.
For Hawke's Bay, more international business events mean more jobs, more spending and a stronger economy.
Business event visitors spend $175 more per day than other tourists, and importantly they often travel during the quieter months between March and November. That’s a huge win for businesses that rely on tourism outside the peak summer season.
We have some great experiences to offer in our region, but we need to get out there and let the world know we are open for business.
PM visits India
Prime Minister Chris Luxon's visit to India marks a pivotal step in strengthening ties between the two nations.
Formal talks for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) begin next month, expanding trade opportunities.
As the world’s 5th-largest economy with 1.4 billion people, India presents a huge export market for New Zealand businesses. Stronger trade relations with India will create new opportunities for exporters, driving economic growth and job creation and reduce the cost of living, and it would be great news for Hawke's Bay where primary produce is the backbone of our economy.
Minister Todd McClay has signed two new Memorandum of Cooperation in the Horticulture and Forestry sectors.
IN THE MEDIA
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I look forward to seeing you out in our Tukituki community soon.
Regards, Catherine