Elections
Watch: Nicola Willis, Deputy Leader of the National Party, as she speaks at the public meeting held at the Invercargill Working Men’s Club.
We apologise for the initial rough footage, as there were issues with the tripod causing an important part to be missed. However, we managed to implement a successful Plan B. Please note that the beginning (approximately 30 seconds) is missing.
Below is my opinion and some video clips of Nicola in the house.
Opinion: Nicola is poised to excel as a finance minister. Who could be better for reeling in government spending than a mother of four who will carefully track every taxpayer dollar? During the Q&A session, Nicola provided well-supported answers and backed them up with numbers.
National has comprehensive plans to revitalise the education system, with a strong emphasis on the fundamentals. Willis stated that National will mandate primary and intermediate schools to allocate an average of one hour per day for reading, writing, and math each. The current variations in the time allocated to teaching these basics among different schools are deemed excessive.
Furthermore, National intends to adjust the tax thresholds that have failed to keep pace with inflation. Many of you may have experienced a wage increase only to discover that you are barely better off due to entering the next tax bracket, which substantially reduces the impact of the wage increase. By allowing us to retain more of our money, we can allocate it towards our desired expenditures, such as bills, and avoid an excessively spend thrift government that lacks fiscal discipline.
The messaging I get from National is if you want real change then party vote National, im thinking thats a message to Winston First voters not to risk it and to give National their vote. It’s going to be an interesting election, will Winston get 5%?
I look forward to a change of government that will cut the wasteful spending by this lot. I’d like to see a strong National/Act government.
Mike