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million in new funding a year, taking

total health spending to $14.7 bil-

lion next year, the most ever.

Were invesng in skills so young

people can full their potenal.

Spending across educaon, includ-

ing terary, will increase next year

to $12.4 billion.

The Christchurch rebuild is gather-

ing momentum. The Budget in-

cludes an extra $2.1 billion to bring

the Governments share of the

rebuild to around $15 billion.

Budget 2013 sets out the next steps

in our four priories.

It builds momentum towards a

stronger, more stable, economy

that can beer weather global

storms and deliver more opportuni-

es, higher incomes, and more jobs.

It connues our work to build a

brighter future for Kiwi families

Melissa Lee MP

This years Budget conrms

New Zealand is on the right

track.

It provides more support for fami-

lies, it forecasts more economic

growth, more jobs, rising wages,

and a return to surplus in 2014/15.

Our responsible nancial manage-

ment will see the government re-

turn to surplus in 2014/15 and start

paying o debt. Were spending

$5.1 billion over four years on new

iniaves in areas such as science

and innovaon, health, educaon,

welfare, and housing. And were

signalling ACC levy cuts for busi-nesses and families.

Were allocang $1.5 billion raised

from the Mighty River Power share

sale to rebuild Christchurchs hospi-

tals, upgrade schools, and invest in

irrigaon infrastructure and Ki-

wiRail.

Meridian will be the next company

prepared for a paral share sale

later this year. Money raised will

pay for vital infrastructure without

further increasing debt.

The Budget outlines reforms to

tackle house prices. This includes

new regulaons for councils in

areas where housing is least aord-

able.

Were delivering beer public ser-

vices and more help for vulnerable

families.

Were almost doubling funding to

tackle rheumac fever. Were insu-

lang 46,000 more homes for low-

income families. Were providing

$198 million over four years to help

beneciaries nd work. And were

helping at-risk children get early

childhood educaon.

In health, the Budget is providing

$1.6 billion over four years for new

iniaves and to meet cost pres-

sures. This includes about $352

Budget 2013 builds momentum

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Budget 2013 1

Pacific Lan-

guage Weeks

1

Better Ser-

vices

2

ACC im-

provements

2

Childrens

Action Plan

2

Budget 2013:

Housing

3

Snippets of

Local and

Ethnic events

4

Community

notices

4

P A R L I A M E N T A R Y S E R V I C E

Mel in Mt ALBERT, May 2013

M A Y 2 0 1 3 , I S S U E 4O U R

P R I O R I T I E S

Responsibly

managing the

governments

books

Building a more

competitive and

productive econ-

omy

Delivering better

public services

Rebuilding

Christchurch

activities and events, using Pacific

greetings, and promoting these

celebrations within the local com-

munities and workplaces.

This week is Samoa language week.

Here are some words you may

want to use:

Hello..................... Talofa lava

How are you? ..... O a mai oe?

Very well ............. Manuia

Good bye ............ Tofa Soifua

Warm Pacific Greetings,

Pacific Language week is a cele-

bration of pacific cultures.

This cultural celebration supports

the growth and survival of pacific

heritage languages, through raising

awareness, and specifically in en-

couraging and embracing Pacific

languages.

I encourage us all to embrace Pacif-

ic Language Weeks by attending

The following dates are confirmed

by the Ministry of Pacific Island

Affairs

Samoa 26 May-1 Jun

Cook Is Maori 4-10 Aug

Tonga 1-7 Sept

Inaugural Tuvalu 30 Sept-6 Oct

Inaugural Fiji 7-13 Oct

Niue 13-19 Oct

Tokelau 28 Oct-3 Nov

Pacific Language Weeks 2013

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P A G E 2

BUDGET 2013:

Government

signals $1b of

ACC levy

reductions

Continuing improvements in ACC

Commitment to Childrens Action Plan

Better services with fiscal constraintsFollowing work by the Min-

isterial Committee on Pov-

erty, Budget 2013 confirms

important initiatives to sup-port low-income families.

$100 million over three

years to insulate 46,000more homes for low-incomefamilies

More than $21 million over

the next four years to re-duce rheumatic fever inchildren

An extra $1.5 million for

Budgeting Services in

2013/14, in addition to the$8.9 million provided in2012/13

A whiteware procurementprogramme to help benefi-ciaries buy new appliancesunder warranty using MSDrepayable grants

Investigating a partnership

with NGOs and financialinstitutions to support theprovision of low or no-interest loans for low-income borrowers

A trial on HNZ properties of

a warrant of fitness pro-gramme for rental housing

Were investing $188.6 million

over four years for the next

stage of welfare reforms, to

help more NZs into work. Paid

employment is the best way to

lift vulnerable families out of

poverty

Over four years, $46.8

million for extra income-related rent subsidies forhigh-needs tenants

Extra $26.6 million to ex-

tend income-related rentsubsidies to non-govt com-munity housing providers

White Paper, which includes

more than 40 initiatives to better

protect children who have been

abused or maltreated, and those

at the greatest risk of maltreat-

ment. Implementing the Chil-

drens Action Plan is a govern-

ment priority, requiring new ways

of working across agencies, in-

cluding the establishment of

Childrens Teams to bring to-

The Government is commit-

ted to protecting vulnerable

children through the Chil-

drens Action Plan.

The Childrens Action Plan (CAP)

is bigger than politics and is not

only for this generation of New

Zealand children, but their chil-

dren and their grandchildren.

The Childrens Action Plan

comes from the Government

gether professionals at a local

level. Budget 2013 will support

CAP milestones.

$13.7 million operating funding

over four years

$3 million in capital funding in

2013/14 to deliver on the Chil-

drens Action Plan milestones

Of this, $6.7 million has beencontributed from Vote Health

over four years towards the cost

of implementing the Childrens

Action Plan.

The Government is allowingfor a reduction of around $300million for 2014/15 and possi-bly increasing to a reduction ofaround $1 billion in 2015/16.This follows a $630 million

reduction in levies for house-holds and businesses in2012/13.

Its best that injuries neveroccur, but when accidentshappen, ACCs job is beingready to help get individualsback to independence. TheGovernment is focussed on

better quality outcomes forclaimants, improved privacy,culture change and great cus-tomer service.

ACC knows it has to work on

regaining the trust and confi-dence of NZers and on improv-ing the service it provides toclaimants.

In Feb 2013, ACCs invest-ment returns were $1.1 billionahead of budget. This reflectsboth the market and greatwork of the investment team.

Continuing improvementsin ACC will provide an op-portunity for significant levyreductions.

These levy reductions willbenefit employers, the self-employed, families and house-holds.

The Government is confidentthat a decrease in ACC leviesis sustainable.

M E L I N M T A L B E R T , M A Y 2 0 1 3

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Housing - what Labour didnt do

P A G E 3M A Y 2 0 1 3 , I S S U E 4

National has announced a pack-age of measures to make hous-ing more affordable and im-

prove access to social housing.

How exciting it is that we are

doing something that Labour

never did!

We are working hard to ensure NZers live

in quality, affordable accommodation.

High housing costs raise debt and in-crease demand for social assistance.Making housing more affordable is goodfor the economy and good for communi-

ties.

Our housing package delivers on ourpromises to build a more competitive andproductive economy and deliver better

public services.

We are working across the board to make

housing more affordable:

Increasing land supply

Getting on top of building material and

construction costs

Better delivery of core infrastructure to

support new hosing

Productivity in the construction

sector

Streamlining consent and compli-

ance costs

We are improving access to social

housing by:

Ensuring social houses are the rightsize, in the right place and in goodcondition for those who need them

most.

Creating the right environment to

grow the community housing sector.

Making homes warmer, drier, andhealthier with all state houses capableof being insulated, being insulated bythe end of the year and trialling aHousing Warrant of Fitness on state

houses.

Moving from state to social housing.

Moving from social housing for life,

to social housing when you need it.

We are working with Councils tocreate accords to increase land supplyand streamline planning and consent

processes.

This is aimed at providing thousandsmore houses, alleviate the shortage of

housing, and give NZ families a betterchance to buy their own home.

The first accord has been agreed withAuckland Council, the first specialhousing areas are expected to be desig-nated later this year, and the target of39,000 new homes consented over

three years has been set.

Housing accords will allow Councils todesignate Special Housing Areas inwhich new housing can be approved

under streamlined process.

Budget 2013 makes bold changes to theway we deliver housing assistance to

those who need it.

Income -related rent subsidies will be

extended to community housing

providers such as NGOs, churches,charities etc. Often community provid-ers integrate housing with support forpeople with disabilities, mental healthissues, drug and alcohol problems andfamily dysfunction.

We are opening the door for communi-ty housing providers to house more

people with the Government fundingthem on the same basis as HousingNew Zealand.

There is no reason why a family inneed should receive less support justbecause their house is owned by acommunity provider, rather than theGovernment.

Community housing providers canoften do a better job of meeting needsbecause they provide a wraparound

service for their clients.

We will ensure state housing supportsthose with the greatest need by ex-tending reviewable state housingtenancies to all HNZ tenants.

This is about improving access tosocial housing for those who need it,and supporting people to becomeindependent of state housing as theircircumstances allow.

State housing will be there for thosewho need it, for the duration of thatneed. People can rent state houseswhen they have high needs, for as

long as they need.

People will be given support to moveinto alternative housing when theirsituations improve and they are able tobecome independent.

Reviewable tenancies were introducedto agreements signed after 1 July2011. This will create a category ofnew higher-needs tenants, who will be

eligible for lower rents. The Govern-ment is investing more money in statehousing to support reviewable tenan-

cies.

We are making a record investment of$2.9 billion in HNZ over three years.

Language line currently offers immediate

access to interpreters speaking 44 lan-

guages to help people who speak little or

no English communicate with govern-

ment agencies.

The expansion of Language Line makes it

easier for ethnic and migrant communi-

ties to settle and do business in New

Zealand.

Over the past decade Language Line has

facilitated more than 30,000 transactions

between government agencies and its

clients.

Introducing Language Line into major

banks, for example, will support migrant

business owners and their friends and

family to set up a bank account and

access the financial services they need to

do business here.

NZ is a hard-working nation and we

know our ethnic businesses have a tre-

mendous contribution to make to our

future prosperity.

National is committed to seeing

each and every person in this

country receive the information,

advice and services they need to

get ahead and make a better life

for themselves and their families.

Thats why the Government has given

the go-ahead to expand the Office of

Ethnic Affairs Language Line telephone

interpreting service to private sectororganisations.

Language Line expansion to private sector NZ is a hard-working nation

and we know our

ethnic businesses

have a

tremendous

contribution to

make to our

future prosperity

Housing affordability

Social Housing

Housing Accords

Community Housing

Providers

Focus state housing on

highest need

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Provide information on how

Parliament works

10am to 3pm

Monday to Friday

779 New North Road

Mt Albert

To receive my latest info on

events and policy updates - email

your name and address details

and Ill be in touch!

If you have recently moved into Mt

Albert, my office can help with the

following:

Assistance with issues relating to

education, health, immigration

and ACC

Help with queries to WINZ, IRD,

Police, HNZ

Advocate on your behalf to Minis-

ters and their departments

Liaise with Auckland Council,

Local Board and Auckland

Transport

Help people understand govt

policies

Lets talk about

COMMUNITY NOTICESRaising awareness around Supportline Womens

Refuge, Manager Chrisna Pusztay will speak at acommunity morning tea, 10am Friday 31 May atMt Albert BapstChurch. Aendance is free, wel-come to all

Consultation of Councils plan for the next thirty years -Draft Unitary Plan public meetings are underway. Attendthese meetings and HAVE YOUR SAY!

Calling volunteers - we need you! Mt Albert Com-

munity Patrol are looking for volunteers. Full train-ing will be provided. Please call Tony Mayes 098492745

Mt Albert Community meeng with the Leprosy

Mission - come and hear about the great work

theyre doing! Friday 19 July, 10am at Mt AlbertBapst Church

For more photos go to hps://www.facebook.com/mpmelissalee

Graduates of Oce of Ethnic Aairs Young Leaders

programme taken at Minister Collins oce at the

Beehive, Wellington.Hon Judith Collins at NZ Indian Central

Associaon 87th Annual Conference

Red Shield Appeal Collecon at St

Luke's, Mt Albert with Sarita Cum-

mings and Rohini Sami

Localocalocal&&& EthnicEthnicEthnicsnippetssnippetssnippets

Opening address at

EthnicA 2013 Welling-

ton Conference.

Hon Judith Collins and Consul General Yilho

Park at EPIC.