News from Suze - November 2024

The weeks are certainly flying by as we head full steam towards the end of another year. Our Government is not slowing either, with two busy three-week sitting blocks and a scrutiny week to get legislation through before Christmas.

In this update:

I’m excited to say that my first member’s bill, the KiwiSaver (First Home for Farm Land and Service Tenancy Tenants) Amendment Bill, was added to Parliament’s ‘biscuit tin’ on 6 November.

Current legislation makes it too hard for many farmers, farm workers, military personal and other employees who are provided accommodation as part of their job, to get into the property market. My bill aims to support both home and farm ownership and even out the playing field.

Firstly, it allows a KiwiSaver member to withdraw funds to buy a farm through an entity they are a majority shareholder in. The current law states a farm must be purchased in their own name – but a farm is usually owned by an entity because it is both a business and a home. The second part of the bill waives the requirement for people in service tenancies to live in their KiwiSaver-bought homes for six months.

These are practical changes, designed with our community in mind. You can download a copy of the bill here. Hopefully it gets drawn soon—I’ll keep you posted.

It was a pleasure to host my friend and colleague, Associate Minister of Defence, Hon. Chris Penk, in the mighty Rangitīkei to celebrate breaking ground for the Linton Regional Supply Facility. Alongside Vice Chief of Defence Force, Rear Admiral Mathew Williams, Chris broke the first ground for this significant project. These modern fit-for-purpose facilities are strategic investments which will reduce administrative burden. The new facility is the third infrastructure build in the Consolidated Logistics Project and represents a significant milestone.

I had the pleasure of welcoming students and staff from Apiti School to Parliament. We enjoyed a great Q&A session, with thoughtful questions and great conversations. Hosting groups from the mighty Rangitīkei in Parliament is always a highlight—it’s an opportunity to share insights into the work we do and give them an understanding into the day-to-day life of their MP.

“A phenomenal ride” is how Helen Leahy, Chief Executive of Ngāti Rangi, described Te Aro Mangawhero in her heartfelt and aspirational speech at the trail’s official opening in Ohakune. The new trail offers a journey through history and stunning landscapes. The celebration highlighted the incredible teamwork that brought the project to life, uniting Ngāti Rangi, Mountains to Sea - Ngā Ara Tūhono, the Department of Conservation, the Ruapehu District Council, Iwi, and the local community. It was an awesome day to share with my friend and colleague, Hon Tama Potaka. I even had the chance to test the trail myself—what a bucket-list experience! If you haven’t already, I highly recommend giving it a go!

I had a brilliant day in Taupō celebrating innovation and excellence in our primary industries with my friend and colleague, Hon. Louise Upston. Our day began with a hands-on masterclass in all things bees and honey with Waitahanui Apiaries' Rachel Stebbing, and Wallace Steel from Smoking Joe Honey. In the afternoon, we visited Pāmu’s Aratiatia farm, where we learned about their exciting new apprenticeship scheme. This initiative highlights the critical importance of investing in the food and fibre workforce, which delivers greater returns for New Zealand than any other sector. As Pāmu CEO Mark Leslie noted, “In 2021, over $100,000 in export revenue was generated for every worker in the food and fibre sector, compared to just under $11,000 per worker across all other sectors.”

It was wonderful to spend time in the northern parts of the Rangitīkei electorate during recess in the last week of October. My day started with a visit to Taihape Area School, where I met with their inspirational Principal, Michelle Cameron. In Raetihi, I stopped by Orautoha Kura for some incredible waiata and a fun Q&A session with students and staff. Later I joined a discussion on refurbishing the historic Ratana Temepara with Kura Waikau-Tūroa and a dedicated local team, before visiting Kura’s carving workshop to see his amazing work.

Awesome to attend the Gisborne A&P Show with my colleagues Hon. Todd McClay, Simon Watts, Miles Anderson, Katie Nimon and our superb host Dana Kirkpatrick. A particular highlight for me was watching the speed shearers in action—what a display of skill, strength and precision! It was wonderful to connect with locals, hear their stories, and see first-hand the passion that drives this community. Events like these remind us why our rural regions are the backbone of New Zealand.

I joined Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey and a few colleagues for a couple of laps around Parliament’s forecourt to support Movember. This awesome cause does a fantastic job at promoting men’s health and wellbeing. Let’s keep backing the blokes in our lives by supporting this important mahi.

Due to declining postal volumes in recent years, NZ Post is looking to cut back on how often they deliver. The big change they’re considering is reducing delivery from five days a week to three in rural areas, and from three days to two in urban areas. While financial viability is important, I’m concerned about what this means for our communities here in Rangitīkei – especially for older folk and for those who don’t have reliable internet, so they can’t easily switch to electronic mail or online news. Reduced delivery could also affect newspaper subscriptions, as daily papers may only arrive a few times a week.

Feedback is open until 4 December—I encourage you to share your views. You can make a submission here: https://www.mbie.govt.nz/have-your-say

Minister for Mental Health, Matt Doocey, has launched Getting Through, an online hub by Farmstrong and Health NZ, offering mental wellbeing tools for farmers and growers facing adverse weather stress. You can access the hub here 👉 https://gettingthrough.farmstrong.co.nz

Pay gap calculator toolkit launched

New Zealand businesses can now take meaningful action to understand and reduce their gender pay gap with the launch of a new online calculator and toolkit, available on the Ministry for Women’s website. Women in New Zealand are paid, on average, 8.2% less than men—a gap that has barely shifted since 2017. Access the calculator and toolkit here 👉 www.women.govt.nz/gender-pay-gaps/gender-pay-gap-toolkit

The coalition Government’s Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill passed its third reading in Parliament on 23 October, coming into force on 25 October. It’s a bill I’m incredibly proud of. It will allow farmers to get back to doing what they do best: Farming. You can read more and access a full copy of the Act  here 👉 https://environment.govt.nz/acts-and-regulations/acts/rm-freshwater-and-other-matters-amendment/  

Keep up with all the latest news, policy announcements and initiatives at www.beehive.govt.nz 

Here you can filter by portfolios, ministers or govt spokesperson, and search by keyword. You can also sign up to Beehive.govt.nz's RSS feeds here to have information delivered right to your inbox.

100 year Celebration for Mangahao Power Station
On Friday 29 November, at 11am, I'll be attending the King Country Energy and Manawa Energy's celebration of 100 years of hydro-electric power generation at Mangahao Power Station in Shannon.

Kāpiti Food Fair
On Saturday 30 November, 11am-2pm, I'll be at the Kapiti Food Fair, alongside my friend and colleague Tim Costley and other National MPs. Look out for the National Stand if you are heading along, we’re running a BBQ to raise money for foodbank.

Marton Market Day
On Saturday 7 December, I plan to pop along to the Marton Market Day on Follet Street  –  with around 200 stalls, it’ll be a great opportunity for a bit of Christmas shopping!  

My team and I are always available to assist you.

Reach us by emailing Suze.RedmayneMP@parliament.govt.nz or calling 06 323 7253 (Feilding) or 07 896 8008 (Taumarunui).

Visit us in person at one of our office locations.

Feilding Office: 51 Fergusson Street, Feilding - Monday to Friday, 10:00am to 3:00pm. 

Taumarunui Office: 1/101 Hakiaha Street, Taumarunui - Monday 9:30am to 2:30pm and Thursday 9:30am to 12:30pm.

Please feel free to forward this email to friends and family who might like to stay in touch. I appreciate your help staying connected with the community. 

 

Best wishes, 

Suze Redmayne