Backing the Bay

Local MP’s front up to Back Benches

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:10:14 +0000

Getting ready for Back Benches

Local MP’s Craig Foss and Chris Tremain feature on this week’s ‘Back Benches’.

Hosted at the Gin Trap, Chris and Craig are thrilled that Back Benches made it to Hawke’s Bay on their summer tour.

‘The turn out to watch the filming of the programme was great,’ said Craig. ‘We had a fantastic time and I think the crowd enjoyed it too. It was great to see Chris’s crayfish make a guest appearance. ’

‘Hawke’s Bay turned on a fabulous day,’ said Chris. ‘It is a real pleasure to host Back Benches right here in The Bay; the hosts were very impressed with our weather they said it was the best they’d had all tour.’

Back Benches is a show that focuses on pub politics and is usually filmed at the Backbencher Pub in Wellington, this year the programme has been taken on a summer tour, Hawke’s Bay was the last stop on this tour.

The Back Benches programme featuring Craig and Chris will screen on Wednesday the 27^th of January, at 9.10pm on TV7.

Celebrating Ratana

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:37:49 +0000

National MPs Craig Foss and Chris Tremain are once again looking forward to attending the annual Ratana Church celebrations on the Ratana Marae near Wanganui.

This year sees the 137th birthday celebrations of the prophet Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana, founder of the Ratana church, and these annual celebrations are a highlight for Mr Foss and Mr Tremain.

“We have been attending Ratana celebrations since we were elected into office,’ says Mr Foss, “however the celebrations are not about politics, they are about celebrating beliefs and the strengths of New Zealand.”

“Taking part in the Ratana celebrations is always a humbling experience,’ says Mr Tremain. ‘The event grows, year on year, however the solid Ratana foundation that underpins the celebrations remains the same.”

‘Last year was the first time that John Key had attended Ratana as Prime Minister,’ says Mr Foss ‘and a year on both the National Party and the Maori Party have built on the Confidence and Supply Agreement that was signed back in 2008’.

‘Ratana shows New Zealand that the relationship goes beyond signed agreements, adds Mr Tremain. ‘It is about all New Zealanders working together.’

The Ratana Church is widely acknowledged as both a religion and as a pan-tribal political lobby group.

Three-strikes and they stay in

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:36:12 +0000

National MPs Chris Tremain, Napier, and Craig Foss, Tukituki, are very pleased with the new three-strikes policy.

‘This policy,’ says Chris Tremain, ‘means that our worst serious offenders, the ones who have and are most likely to reoffend, will be kept in jail; that means our streets and homes will be safer.’

‘While there are only a small number of offenders that fit this category,’ says Mr Foss, ‘these serial offenders are the ones who inflict the most harm on innocent members of our community; their negative impact on our society is enormous.’

‘This policy shows that the Government is committed to fulfilling its election promise to remove eligibility for parole for the worst repeat violent offenders,’ says Mr Tremain
‘We believe that the Justice system should serve the victims as well as punishing the perpetrators,’ says Mr Foss. ‘The three-strikes policy goes along way to giving victims peace of mind.’

More funding to reduce waste

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:33:04 +0000

Council’s in Hawke’s Bay will today receive their first payment of waste levy funding collected under the Waste Minimisation Act, Tukituki MP Craig Foss and Napier MP Chris Tremain says.

“Money from the waste levy is being distributed to Councils to support their work to reduce, reuse and recycle waste thereby reducing harm to the environment and ensuring resources are used more efficiently,” Craig Foss said.

“In Hawke’s Bay $115,000 will be available to see this work done.”

“The Waste Minimisation Act discourages waste disposal by imposing a levy of $10 per tonne of waste on disposal facilities such as landfills. Half of the money collected is allocated to councils on a population basis to spend on minimising waste in their area and the remaining levy money, minus administration costs, is made available for waste projects and education through the Waste Minimisation Fund.

“I encourage applications to the Waste Minimisation Fund from those in the community delivering waste minimisation education, people with new ideas to reduce waste and those wanting to expand the scope of existing waste reduction operations. Information about the fund is available on the Ministry for the Environment website, with applications closing on 1 March 2010.”

The Waste levy funding will be made quarterly and councils will use the funding in accordance with their waste management and minimisation plans which are developed locally. These plans are supported by the New Zealand Waste Strategy which is the Government’s long term vision for waste reduction. This long-term strategy is being updated to be in line with the National Government’s waste policy.

“This policy is about discouraging waste being dumped in landfills through the waste levy and supporting councils and communities in their waste minimisation and recycling programmes,” Chris Tremain said.

Christmas at the Beach

admin — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 19:45:40 +0000

We had a fantastic Christmas. By the beach in stunning Hawke’s Bay, fantastic weather, family and friends.

Father Christmas did well choosing for our girls. He also ate all the cake and drank the milk we left out for him. Rudolph demolished the carrot left for him. Father Christmas even left a footprint in the flour that we spread in front of the chimney.

Our family present to ourselves were mountain bikes, which hold great promise! We had a late brunch of pancakes. Later it was Crayfish, caught on Christmas eve, followed by our turkey in the early evening.

Today my father and I are cooking a potjiekos, over an open fire. It will take 4 hours but is delicious, and a very good excuse for a couple of quiets while we are waiting.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Sports Park

admin — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:48:49 +0000

On Saturday, Hastings Pak n Save was announced as the sponsor for Stage 2 of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Sports Park.

This is a very generous contribution to our region. It brings the total raised so far from donations to $8.5m. Not bad for a recession.

Stage 2 will be a new complex for netball. The existing courts at Windsor Park have long out lived themselves. The new 18 dedicated netball courts will be ready part way through the 2010 season.

Santa arrived in style, giving out lollies and small gift packs to the children.

Stage 1 allowed for construction of the running track and grandstand.

Greg Wilton Backing the Bay in Perth

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:59:58 +0000

Greg Wilton’s late father George was a great fan of the Hawke’s Bay Magpies. For Greg’s 50th birthday his family gave Greg a Magpies Jersey. This is Greg proudly wearing the jersey and surrounded by his family.

A Break-Away for young people these school holidays

admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:24:46 +0000

Young people in Wairoa will have a chance to challenge themselves across a range of sports and activities thanks to the new Break-Away school holiday programme.

Napier/Wairoa MP Chris Tremain says Wairoa Youth Services Trust is one of the community organisations that have been selected to run the 15,000 one-week placements for 11 to 17 year olds in the January and April school holidays.

The Wairoa Youth Services Trust has activities ranging Waka Ama, high ropes, outdoor activities and sports.

“I’m a firm believer in getting our kids involved in outdoor activities,” says Chris Tremain.

“I’m delighted that young people in Wairoa will be able to get this opportunity through the Wairoa Youth Services Trust.

The programme is part of the Break-Away package of youth initiatives announced by the Prime Minister in August.

“The school holiday programmes are an important part of the work this Government is doing to help young New Zealanders reach their potential,’’ says Chris Tremain.

“The programmes are free, because often these young people will not have the means or opportunity to participate in fun holiday programmes, now they do.

For more information and a list of holiday programme providers please go to:

http://www.familyservices.govt.nz/working-with-us/programmes-services/youth-intervention/breakaway-school-holiday-programmes.htm

Local MP’s welcome funding boost

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:51:53 +0000

Napier MP Chris Tremain and Tukituki MP Craig Foss are delighted that local parenting group Waiapu Anglican Social Services Trust is receiving a financial boost as part of the eleventh funding round for the Ministry of Social Development’s SKIP (Strategies with Kids, Information for Parents) Local Investment Fund.

‘This is such a boost for our community,’ says Mr Tremain, ‘and it is a step in the right direction for our families.’

Anglican Care’s SKIP trainer will co-facilitate ‘the Family Tree’ SKIP parenting programmes local partner organisations for specific groups of parents whose needs are not currently being met in parent education, for example parents of children with disabilities.

Around New Zealand twenty-five groups supporting positive parenting are to receive more than $810,000.

The SKIP Local Initiatives Fund (LIF) supports communities to explore new ways to promote positive parenting. SKIP resources are full of parents’ wisdom and based on research about what helps children develop into happy, capable adults.

The new three year funding was made available to community development projects that have already delivered three or more successful SKIP Local Initiatives. A longer funding period will allow them to show an ongoing commitment to the parents they work with.

“Parents of under-5s from all over the country are going to have access to a wide range of events that can boost their skills and confidence,” says Mr Foss “including shows, courses and workshops.”

“Parents in across Hawke’s Bay will benefit from this announcement.”

Further boost to job placements for young people

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:29:24 +0000

National MPs Craig Foss and Chris Tremain, are delighted with the Government announcement of 2000 extra places on the Job Ops scheme, and extra money to support Student Job Search.

“This is fantastic news for young people in Hawke’s Bay wanting the opportunity to get into employment.”

The extra Job Ops places are on top of the 4000 announced in August.

“We believe this is well spent money. This programme is delivering concrete results.” says Craig Foss.

“In the East Coast region 215 jobs have been created and 142 filled since the scheme began.

“As students return to Hawke’s Bay for the summer we want to help them in finding summer work, which is why the Government is supporting Student Job Search in targeting individuals and businesses with jobs that need doing,” says Chris Tremain.

“This year more than 160,000 students are registered with Student Job Search and we’re determined to connect them with the right people.