It’s been an amazing, busy, jam-packed year, I've loved every minute of representing our community. I’ve held seven public meetings; visited five Rest Homes with morning tea; had some great wins with Auckland Transport (including Glenvar Rd, Carsilie Rd, Harrowglen Dr and the lights at Constellation and East Coast Rds); helped to save our local Browns Bay Community Police Station; advocated for local schools; and met so many wonderful people living in the East Coast Bays.
We are already planning for next year so keep an eye out either on my website, Facebook or Instagram.
Check out some of the things I’ve been up to since my last newsletter and I look forward to seeing you in 2019. Have a wonderful Christmas and safe New Year!
Meet Maria
Introducing my new Youth MP, Maria Kopilevich. Maria is a year 13 student at Pinehurst School in Albany. We had six talented finalists who delivered 5-minute speeches on ‘The Importance of Free Speech in a Modern Democracy’.
Thank you to the Rotary Club of Browns Bay for hosting the event and selecting the winner.
I’ll be working closely with Maria in the build-up to a two-day session in Parliament mid next year. CONGRATULATIONS MARIA!!
Sylvia Durrant - The Bird Lady
Thank you to all who signed the petition to support my nomination of Sylvia Durrant for the New Zealander of the year - Senior of the Year award.
We have sent off the nomination that included hundreds your lovely comments from the petition.
Keep an eye on my website to see if she made it through as a finalist.
Parliament
I was lucky enough to have my members bill drawn from the ballot, within a month of it being lodged. The bill proposed a scrapping of the decile system in favour of a Needs Index System to better target at-risk kids. Click here to watch my speech
I’ve spoken a number of times against the dismantling of the charter schools model click here to watch. Vanguard School in Albany was the first charter school to have its application for Special Character School status approved. While this is not an ideal outcome, I’m pleased they get to keep their doors open.
I served on the Environment select committee that considered the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill click here to watch. Together with my colleagues, I argued strongly against the process and the decision taken by Government to end offshore oil and gas exploration. Without a plan to reduce demand and drastically increase renewable energy sources, cutting the supply of natural gas will only lead to an increased reliance on coal and importing natural gas. The upshot of this will be an increase in global emissions rather than a reduction.
Have your say
Your input is needed to develop our policies for 2020. I want to hear what matters to you and your ideas for New Zealand's future.
There are three areas I’m looking at first - Small Business, Families and Seniors.
Over the Christmas break if you have 10 minutes and would like to have your say, please head to www.national.org.nz/haveyoursay. Our policies need to reflect the issues and priorities you care about - I want to have as many voices from the East Coast Bays represented as possible.
If there are any other issues you feel strongly about, please email me: erica@ecbelectorate.co.nz
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