In this video update Cam talks about the alcohol reform legislation that is before Parliament at the moment. Cam discusses some of the consultation he has undertaken and the feedback he has received. He then goes on to outline his position on the issue.

In this video update Cam talks about the progress being made by National in settling treaty grievances. He then goes onto talk about the recently release Reported Crime Statistics, with a particular focus on Manurewa. Cam also discusses the recently introduced Superannuation increase. Cam then discusses some of the events and meetings he has attended around the electorate and the region recently.

Cam talks about activities in the electorate - including one that resulted in a significant scrape on his forehead - and what's going on in Parliament.

Last Friday I was privileged to go to the opening of the Pasifika celebrations at Western Springs with colleague Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga. This is a vibrant and diverse celebration of our Pasifika community.

Western Springs is a great venue for Pasifika and allows all communities to have their own space to showcase their culture and I look forward to it each year. Another eagerly awaited event in the Pacific calendar is PolyFest, and today in Manurewa I had the pleasure of attending the opening of the 2012 PolyFest at the Manukau Sports Bowl in the Manurewa electorate.

Thirty-seven years ago three schools got together to celebrate their Polynesian culture, and today, around 60 schools take part and competition is fierce for the various performance categories. I’m looking forward to returning during the week and hopefully catching some of the performances from Manurewa schools.
 

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of attending the 2012 Bluegreens Forum at Lake Pupuke on Auckland’s North Shore.

The conference got off to a great start with a panel comprising of Sir Stephen Tindall, Phil O'Reilly and Sir Peter Gluckman discussing Greening New Zealand's Growth.

There is huge international interest this year in the concept of green growth, with the OECD Forum this month and the UN’s Rio +20 conference on sustainable development both focused on this subject. At last year’s Bluegreens Forum in Akaroa Finance Minister Bill English announced the establishment of the Green Growth Advisory Group. The group’s report –  Greening New Zealand's Growth – was presented and discussed at this year’s conference.

The report contains 26 recommendations to the Government to build a more productive and competitive economy while meeting environmental objectives. The various recommendations are being considered by relevant Ministers.

The report concludes that New Zealand needs a broad growth strategy where all sectors take into account their environmental performance. As the Bluegreens Forum progressed it became apparent that environmental awareness is woven more and more into all aspects of New Zealand society.

I was impressed with evidence of the collaborative decision making, being practised particularly in areas of fresh-water management, an area where the Government is continuing to invest heavily.
 

Manurewa resident List MP Cam Calder talks about the Government's health agenda and how far it has come in meeting its targets.

17 February 2012. Cam talks about the first two weeks of the new term in Parliament, Maiden Speeches, and his activities - particularly around Waitangi Day - in the electorate. He goes on to discuss the Green Paper consultations and the on-going MMP review.

2012 is upon us. After a refreshing break with family and friends I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and continuing to build the brighter future our community and all New Zealanders deserve. It will be another busy year as we focus on the issues that matter for our community, and for all Kiwis - a stronger economy and more jobs, better frontline health and education services, a safer New Zealand, and rebuilding Canterbury.

It’s a privilege to be voted in by New Zealanders for a second term of Government and it is a sign of confidence in our National-led Government and our focus on less debt, more jobs, and strong, stable economic management.

The global financial environment remains stormy but National is getting our books in order. We’ll halve the Budget deficit next year and return to surplus in 2014/15 as promised during the election campaign.

Work is underway on extending the successful mixed-ownership model. The Government will offer a minority stake to investors in four state-owned energy companies, and reduce its stake in Air New Zealand, while retaining majority control. Mums and dads will be able to buy shares in these companies. This will free up $5 billion to $7 billion to invest in new assets, such as building schools designed for the 21st century, while reducing debt.

As promised, National is continuing our work on welfare reform. In 2012 we’ll keep building a system that focuses on what people can do. We’ll provide support, training, and opportunities to get Kiwis back into work and away from long-term benefit dependence.

The Canterbury earthquake last February claimed many lives, and left so many grieving. It created widespread devastation and Cantabrians need and deserve all our support. National remains committed to rebuilding Canterbury and we’ll focus the resources needed to make this happen.

National is delivering high-quality, modern public services in health, education, and law and order for families. We’ll maintain a cap on staff in core government administration, continue to modernise the way public services are delivered, and find savings to put into the front line. That means more elective operations and less waiting in our hospitals, more opportunities for children in our schools, and better policing on our streets.

I hope you and your family have a happy and successful 2012.