Voter verdict determines common destiny

With an election coming up, I thought I would share with you some of the things that are important to the National Party. These are foundations that we have carefully been laying over the last six years to make New Zealand a better place to live.  One of the best things about living in New Zealand is the safety that we enjoy on a day-to-day basis. With the lowest crime rate since 1978, this is certainly not an illusion. Since 2011 the total crime rate has come down by 16% and Youth Court appearances by 30%   However, it is important that we do not take this for granted. To make sure that these improvements continue, we have put 600 extra Police on the frontline and increased Police foot patrols by 155% between 2011 and 2013. Police are now better resourced with smartphones and tablets freeing up time for more actual policing.  Health promotion One of the most valuable aspects of a prosperous life is good health. Our spending on health is at record levels, reaching $15.6 billion next year. Since 2008, 1500 more doctors and 3200 more nurses and midwives have been added to our health system. More resources mean there are more elective surgeries, shorter stays in emergency departments and shorter waits for cancer treatment. In the past few months, we announced that visits to doctors would be free for children under six would be free; this will not be extended to children under 13 years of age.  Their prescriptions will also be free. We do not think that any New Zealand parent should hold off taking their child to the doctor, night or day, because of the cost. Good Education Another pillar of this country is our education system. Recently, I showed Education Minister Hekia Parata around Botany schools including Somerville Intermediate and Botany Downs Secondary College. There are many talented young people led by hard-working teachers and it was great to see such potential at local schools. We need to keep improving to make sure our best and brightest keep up with the rest of the world. And it is vital that all of our children achieve the results they need to prepare them for adulthood and to allow them to excel on the world stage. Teaching and leadership are the cornerstone of our schools, which is why we are investing $359 million in this area. Teachers and principals will be able to learn from their peers to ensure that those who are doing really well are able to share their expertise. There will also be more money for computers in homes, teacher aid support and reading support. All these changes bring investment in early childhood, primary and secondary education to over $10 billion during the financial year 2014-2015 to make sure that education in this country gets better and better. With the fourth fastest growing economy in the world and increasing wages, we have an opportunity to continue on this path of prosperity. To realise the higher incomes and government surpluses that are being forecast, we need to stay on track. Now is not the time to jump off the wagon. Now is the time to think carefully about what is important to you this election. Voters will judge what matters, who is competent and who will provide strong leadership into a positive future for New Zealand. Jami-Lee Ross is National Party’s Member of Parliament elected from the Botany Electorate in East Auckland. He is seen here with Trade Minister Tim Groser GMP Dairy Limited Managing Director Karl Ye on August 5.