Helen Houghton, New Conservative

Tauranga Candidates Debate 2022 Questions

Date: Monday May 24, 2022

Section A: COST OF LIVING
Background:
This week at Countdown a kilo of Mainland cheese, a New Zealand dairy product, sits at about $18, which is the same as an hour of minimum wage after tax, petrol topped $3 even after the fuel taxes discount, and households are struggling with the cost of living in New Zealand.

Question: What will you or your party do to address what many are calling a cost of living crisis in NZ?

Answer:

It is a cost-of-living crisis in New Zealand. Many people I have spoken with have told me they are paying anywhere between 250 – 350 a week for groceries. Add this to the cost of petrol, increase in mortgage interest, rates increase makes living a struggle for many. The $350 promise by the government is an empty promise because most of those earning less than $70 000 are already receiving the winter payment. Middle-income families receive nothing, and our elderly receive nothing, yet both have higher costs.

A crisis doesn’t usually arise overnight, and unfortunately, because it has been allowed to arise, it will not disappear overnight, no matter what we do. But we must think long-term and do all we can to make the biggest difference now.

What New Conservative would do it make the First $20,000 of Income Tax-Free: That will be an immediate and significant boost for the low-income earners and superannuants, those who are being hit hardest and are hurting the most.

Income Splitting: This will be a real bonus for those who choose to have a stay-at-home parent for the benefit of their family. This will ensure the first $40,000 of the wage earner's income will be tax free as it is split between the spouses.

Cut Government Spending: We have never seen government spending quite like we have in the past two years. We can blame covid support for some, but government spending overall is increasing alarmingly with more and more people being employed on salaries of over $100,000 a year. We must rein in the waste and get more people off benefits.

Stop Printing Money: The government points to other countries and says inflation isn’t just our problem. Maybe it is because those other countries have been printing money as well! You cannot print money and not have it devalue, which immediately results in inflation. It is time to stop and should have not started.

Use our Resources: We import so many products that we have in our own backyard and refuse to use them, such as coal, crude oil, timber, food. We need to use our own resources and not kid ourselves that, by paying others to mine and drill on our behalf in their backyard, we are doing the world a favour and saving the planet. Open up our mines again and start using our gas and oil resources. The more we depend on other nations the less we can control our own future.

Pull out of the Paris Accord: We will save $30bl+ over the next two decades by pulling out of this, and this is unnecessary government spending that every New Zealander must pay for. We must tighten our belts and put New Zealanders first.

Reintroduce Domestic Market Requirements for our big Exporters: Cheese should not cost $18 a kg! Why is it that our dairy and sheep products can be bought overseas at lower prices than we can buy them here? This must stop. We produce enough food to feed 40 million people, so surely, we can look after our own people first.

Section B: INFRASTRUCTURE COST
Background:
The Port of Tauranga manages the largest exports by volume nationally and has applied for the building of a third terminal.
Yet ingress and egress to and from the Port is heavily over taxed with critical roading infrastructure lacking and congestion at a crisis point.
Question 1:
How can Tauranga continue to effectively function when our roading infrastructure is not keeping pace with the demand of the city's growth, what will you do to ensure Tauranga gets a transport infrastructure that is fit for purpose? And who is going to pay for it.

Question 2:
Yesterday the petition against the closure of Links ave was presented to Council where its reported that the Commissioner stormed out of the meeting, some of you were there what's your version of events?

Question 3:
Does anyone have an alternative plan?

Answer:

Typically local councils are responsible for local roading and infrastructure projects. It would seem that the dysfunctional TCC has set aside long-term planning for infrastructure. I would facilitate the meeting together of relevant parties to come up with a way forward and timeframe.

Section C: HOUSING
Background::
Coupled with the critical issue of roading congestion is a housing crisis. A Smart Growth spatial plan was soundly rejected in a previous consultation process, as it called for more sprawl up the Kaimai Range and along the Papamoa coast, with no citywide rapid transit system planned for the next decade or more.
Question 1: How can we move forward with a plan that matches infrastructural developments and growth together, should growth pay for growth, many are suggesting that the current rate of expansion is undesirable?

Question 2:
What is the answer to the exorbitant cost of building products and their current scarcity?

Question 3:
Background:
Back to Housing locally and we have the glaring examples in the United States and England where low cost high rise apartments turned into slums, drug dens and areas of violence so extreme that even police don't go into them.
Question:
With plan change 26 of high intensification in certain areas and no accompanying plans for parking or amenities, how do you feel about them being built here in our beautiful city?

Answer:

The District Plan needs to set a balance between greenfield development and intensification within the city limits. In some areas around existing transport spines intensification and medium-density housing need to happen to utilise those existing services. Again, it is a matter of sitting down and facilitating the discussion between planners to put in place a sustainable plan for the future growth of Tauranga.

Building product scarcity is a result of drastically increased volumes of construction and ongoing interruptions to supply chains due to covid. A competent housing minister would bring the building product industry together and make it easier for manufacturers to increase capacity - simplifying consenting, removing red tape. Restrictions around responses to covid also need to be relaxed so the workforce is able to continue working.

Housing is a national concern and New Conservative believe that housing availability, affordability, and quality all need to be addressed on multiple fronts no matter the city.

Five key areas need to be addressed, Supply, Demand, Cost, Skill Shortfalls and Building regulations.

I believe that high-rise stacking on top of one another, especially for social development is a recipe for disaster. I have seen this in other cities where single mothers are placed in units in these high-density complexes which have high social needs, and the mothers end up being desperate to be moved. They don’t have other options and are stuck in homes where violence and or drug use is high. and they are left to deal with the dysfunctional behaviour of neighbors in unsavory environments for raising children. Hiding away the consequence of bad government policy is going to impact us all, economically, and a drain on the health and justice sector. Similar with the housing homeless in motels it is not addressing anything except creating more dependency and debt for decades to come.

Section D: THREE WATERS
Background:
It is on record that Tauranga City has historically invested significantly in water infrastructure including micro-filtration. By the Three Waters Proposal's own analysis it was assessed as being one top cities in terms of being prepared for as yet unknown changes to water regulation. Given our growth most of our water infrastructures are relatively new, meaning a likely hood that this city will be subsidizing smaller, older and poorly managed systems elsewhere.
Question:
Where could there be any advantage to the people of Tauranga to merging more than $1B of well-invested assets into the proposed three waters proposal?

Answer:

New Conservative is totally opposed to the forced 3 waters and would repeal any legislation if in Parliament. Many councils have objected but not been listened to. This is not democracy. We need to start again with a plan that councils support.

Section F: DEMOCRACY
Background:
Now this is huge for the people of Tauranga, In 2019 Minister Mahuta installed a commission with the responsibility to prepare the city for a return to democratic elections in 2022, despite the Commissioner's failure to manage that Minister Mahuta, ironically extended their term for another two years.
The Commission with a suggestion of little genuine consultation with Ratepayers are embarking on a number of significant expenses for the City:
· Today the Commission announced $2000 in new additional costs for every man, woman and child in Tauranga for a Civic Renewal with no measurable outcomes. It is forcing through the construction of a museum that was formally rejected in a democratic referendum.
· Proposal of a new Stadium in the CBD
· Significant changes to the Racecourse proposed.
· Has recently sold off housing assets at well below market value.
· And in recent consultation; it refused to reject the Three Waters proposal as explicitly advocated in the local consultation process.
· The commission is unaccountable to the residents at any level
Question 1:
What is your opinion and what would you do about it?

Question 2:
What will you do to help bring democratic elections back to Tauranga?
Answer:

Tauranga residents were told they would have their democracy back in 2022 but the goal posts have been shifted without input from the taxpayers. The people of Tauranga must be able to elect their own council in 2022 as promised. We will uphold the right of Tauranga to deliver, hear and engage in robust debate of issues affecting their city in order to make properly informed decisions. For example, many plans for Tauranga were not agreed by the people and with the high cost of living crises the project like The Civic Renewal and Museum is not a crisis or a priority. Paying the bills is the priority. NC would enable Tauranga’s democracy to be restored asap.

Section G: CRIME:
Background:
Commentators report that this Government is soft on crime, that they are giving Gangs millions of Dollars to repair the very damage they created. The BOP district has the highest concentration of Gang members nationally; Gang intimidation and youth crime is rife in Tauranga at present, many locals are scared to use the buses, and some drivers won't stop when they see groups of youths hanging round bus stops. There has even been the suggestion of cages around drivers, and recently we've had 2 reported smash and grab raids at the Bayfair shopping centre.
Question:
What do we do to curb this new, seemingly ‘fearless' behaviour in some people and are police and authorities capable of providing the solutions we need?

Answer:

The long-term solution is strong families and healthy communities.

First and foremost, we must protect the community from violence and criminal activity. Tauranga needs more police on the ground. No party has yet been able to address what is in front of their face. Let’s get real and deal with the issues. Our young people are angry and rightly so. A decade of poor performance of legislation that undermines good parenting and children have no boundaries, parents have fewer rights and family has not been supported. Many of our troubled youth have fatherless homes. We must help couples to build healthy marriages. We need to reward families and work with them to change generational mindsets of poverty where past governments have trapped them as beneficiaries.

I believe prevention is better than cure. A good justice system can reduce preventive detention by addressing the desperate needs of people which drive them to crime. New Conservative believes that lock-up facilities are not the answer to many of our troubled youth’s problems. Many youths enter adulthood without the basic life skills and often with generational dysfunction. They may lack respect for themselves and therefore others, and the experience of a happy, healthy, and prosperous family.

Taking youth out of the environment where they are not thriving and placing them with support to promote life skills and practical education. This is a holistic approach and youth would attend a program full year with strict boundaries, regular routines, and separation from negative environments.

Teaching youth to eventually become financially independent through revenues from farming and manufactured products produced by the youth programs. Much of the food required for these young people comes from the farm such as meat, milk, fruit, and vegetables with the excess sold.

It has been proven that animals are fantastic therapy for children and youth and there is Not-for-profit organisations working with troubled young people and we would promote and invest in more of these organisations. The youth’s behaviour will determine how much interaction they are allowed with the animals, and how much responsibility they will be given on the programme. Youth will be able to learn hands-on farming experiences such as milking, working on a dairy and beef farm, shearing sheep, and animal husbandry. Education will also be part of the programme.

We must invest in our young people, more so for those who do not get the support from family. Specialised youth counseling services will also be available to deal with the traumas many have faced from family dysfunction or those living with family members of addiction. I will invest in our young, our mothers, and our fathers.

Section H: SUSTAINABILITY:
Background:
Tauranga with its port is a major economic hub of agriculture, horticulture and forestry for New Zealand. At the same many voters, especially younger voters are concerned about sustainability.
Question:
What does Tauranga need to do to build on its current economic base AND build for a more sustainable future at the same time? How do we ensure this includes small and medium businesses?
Answer:

SECTION I: EDUCATION AND OPPORTUNITY
Background
A major concern for parents, not just in Tauranga but across NZ, Our children are saddled with student debt some over 100, 000 dollars of it making it virtually impossible to borrow to buy a house. The government love affair with Australian owned banks continues and house ownership becomes further and further out of reach for our highly educated young people.
Question:
What's your answer to that?

Answer:

The student debt system needs a review. In principle, as many with student loans do not pay them back and the government does not see their investment returned, we need to have a system that is more equitable where the loan amount to more likely be affordable to be repaid. We also need to encourage students to look beyond just university to trades and services for real career opportunities.

Parents need to have their rights again, being able to choose the best school that best fits their child’s needs. New Conservative would bring back charter schools, and support parent choice whether alternative education, homeschooling or correspondence.

Our education is failing due to an overcrowded curriculum where Literacy, Numeracy, and science is not given adequate instructional time. Instead the M.O.E are expecting educators to teach a variety of controversial topics that take away quality academic teaching time. New Conservative is the only party prepared to discuss the ideological indoctrination of our children. We believe in holistic relationship education as it relates to every area of our lives and leads to success in life and society. We will also add trade training as option for students with clear strengths in diverse areas. We will link academics to trades and students could graduate with early competence in their chosen vocation including tool skills, health and safety, driver’s licence, and first aid.

SECTION J: MEDIA
Background:
There are suggestions that NZ media does not always address the big issues or possibly takes a restrained view on some topics, possibly as a consequence of significant government funding.
Question:
Do you think that New Zealand media is generally fair and balanced?

Answer:

SECTION K: YOUR POSITION:
Having covered topics that we know are on residents' minds let me turn to each of you.
Question:
What do you think is the biggest issue facing Tauranga in 2022 and the coming years… and how you would plan to address it?

Answer:

I believe crime is the biggest issue facing Tauranga and other cities. I am concerned about our young people who have not had the role models to be responsible members of society. Founding a charitable trust supporting families I have a hands-on the ground approach, caring for families struggling with substance abuse, and advocating for these families who really want to do the best for their families but don’t have the tools

Drug and alcohol addiction is endemic, and children are often left to fend for themselves so it is not a surprise to see more youth crime. We used to say it takes a community to raise a child well now it will take a community to address the complex issues that lead children to such a need to commit violence and robberies. We cannot bury our heads in the sand and say it is someone else’s problem. It impacts us all. The labour fix is to throw money at it when people don’t know how to manage their money and they will continue to use your money unless we get real and address why children are committing crimes. Millions were spent on housing the homeless in motels without anything to help them get out of a generational cycle of victimhood mentality or the narrative of blaming lack of privilege as a limit on all our people's abilities.

Tauranga deserves great leadership who will put the needs of their community as a priority. I am the best person to go to Wellington to represent Tauranga and address concerns that other politicians ignore.

Click on the SunLive links below to read Tauranga by-election candidate comments:

May 12, 2022 - Tauranga By-election: Candidates weigh-in on SH2

May 15, 2022 - Out and about with the candidates this weekend

May 19, 2022 – Candidates respond to ACT's “off with her head” comment

May 25, 2022 - Tauranga candidates discuss cost of living

Key dates for the Tauranga by-election:

Tuesday 17 May candidate nominations close at noon, by-election candidates announced 4pm

Wednesday 1 June overseas voting starts

Saturday 4 June advance voting starts

Saturday 18 June election day, voting closes at 7pm. Preliminary results will be announced later that night.