It is with great pleasure that I congratulate Indian Newslink on its 13th anniversary.
Over the past number of years, I have worked closely with Indian Newslink as a National Member of Parliament to support Indian community cultural events, special occasions and festivities.
Of course, through my fortnightly column, I have aimed to keep our community updated on the Government’s work on important issues.
I have had much positive feedback and I am appreciative of the opportunity I have to write for this newspaper and work with its management and staff.
Action Plan
New Zealand’s diversity is one of the reasons many Indians come to New Zealand.
Indian Newslink is an important source of information for our extended South Asian and Indo-Fijian communities, and over the years, this high-quality publication has become essential reading for many other ethnic groups across Auckland, and around the world.
One New Zealander in four was born overseas, and 60% of our workforce growth comes from migrants.
Our ethnic and migrant communities are playing a bigger role in our society and our economy – helping us export more and creating more real jobs.
The National-led Government was elected with a clear plan to take New Zealand forward by building a faster-growing economy supporting more jobs and higher incomes.
In these uncertain times around the world, that’s the only way we can provide Kiwis with the security and the opportunities they deserve.
Supporting Kiwis
Our programme is all about supporting New Zealanders and their families to get ahead in New Zealand.
We believe in a supportive government which recognises personal responsibility.
And we believe in rewarding people for hard work and enterprise.
We appreciate that the past few years have been challenging for many New Zealanders.
But I believe that they have shown tremendous resilience.
The global economic outlook remains deeply uncertain, and we see the result of that most nights on television.
But New Zealand is faring well compared to most other developed economies.
Having steadied the economy after the domestic recession and Global Financial Crisis, and having supported the people of Canterbury, the Government has set about a clear programme to build sustainable growth based on more savings, productive investment and exports.
At the same time, we have moved away from the debt, property speculation and excessive government spending that marked most of the previous decade.
Continuing to build a more competitive and productive economy is at the heart of our four main priorities for this term.
That is if businesses are to have the confidence to invest, grow and create higher paying jobs.
Responsible Management
Alongside this, we will responsibly manage the Government’s finances, deliver better public services within tight fiscal constraints; and rebuild Christchurch.
Finally, I would like to congratulate all of the nominees for the Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards 2012, which will be held at Sky City Convention Centre on November 19.
You are all a great asset to our community.
