JAMI-LEE ROSS MP for Botany

Investing in tourism
From time to time I am asked to speak in different parts of the country which gives me a chance to see how beautiful New Zealand is. Tourists spending money in shops, hotels, restaurants and on activities throughout the country means businesses are able to expand and employ more New Zealanders.

The tourism industry employs 6.2 per cent of our workforce, generates $9.6 billion and makes up 15.4 per cent of our export earnings. Tourism directly supports about 120,000 full time jobs in New Zealand. It is a significant source of income for this country so it makes sense to bolster it where we can.

John Key has announced that the Government will invest an extra $158 million in tourism over the next four years to further develop the industry. $24.5 million will go towards boosting traditional markets like Australia, the UK and USA. Another $44.5 million will be invested in attracting visitors from other places such as India, Indonesia and Latin America. These places have growing wealth and are relatively close to New Zealand.

Crime drops again, locally and nationally
People often tell me that one of their main priorities for government is law and order and rightly so. New Zealand families deserve to feel safe in their homes and communities. I’m pleased to be able to report that crime has decreased again in Counties Manukau and across New Zealand. This is the third year in a row that we have seen a decrease in crime.

Total recorded crime in Counties Manukau East was down 18.6 per cent in 2012 when compared to 2011. This is the largest drop in the Counties Manukau District. Across Counties Manukau recorded crime decreased by 11 per cent. Nationwide it was down 7.4 per cent which means 30,043 less crimes than in 2011.

Artificial land shortage
Chances are if you don’t already own a home, you will aspire to owning one. This aspiration is very common. Demand for housing in Auckland is high and supply has not kept up. This has contributed to high prices which we know all too well – particularly in the desirable areas that the Botany Electorate encompasses.

To increase supply and alleviate explosive prices more land needs to be made available for houses to be built. Right now there simply isn’t enough. Auckland Council has created an artificial land shortage through years of strict urban containment. As a result the average price of a section in Auckland is now $325,000, up from $100,000 in 2002. High section prices have pushed home ownership out of reach for many young families.

Fortunately one local councillor knows what he is talking about. Councillor Dick Quax has been very vocal on the issue of land supply for some time and has acknowledged the effect that reducing supply has had. Councillor Quax has said that “the restriction on land supply by council has incentivised speculators to acquire land within the metropolitan urban limits and land bank knowing that the artificial scarcity will result in huge profits.”

Welfare for needy, not cheats
Hard-working and honest New Zealanders pay taxes to support those who are less fortunate, not those who are willing to defraud the system. Welfare fraud is a crime that is costing New Zealand money. $23.4 million was recovered following 714 convictions in 2011/12. A further $18.4 million was recovered from 1,425 investigations which did not end in prosecution because of a lack of evidence. We are clamping down on those who try to rip off the system with three new initiatives.

The first of those initiatives targets the partners or spouses of beneficiaries convicted of fraud. Relationship offending, or people lying about their relationship to get a benefit, cost the country over $20 million. It makes up one third of welfare fraud prosecutions. Prosecuting partners who profit from welfare fraud will ensure both parties are punished and help recover the money faster.

The second initiative introduces new ways of working with beneficiaries who have previously been dishonest with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). MSD will have a package of tools which can be tailored to target the way the individual has been dishonest before. These tools include greater verification of information and less access to self-service transactions. The measures will apply to around 1,000 beneficiaries each year.