Clayton Mitchell New Zealand First MP

Another great public forum at Tauranga RSA at Greerton last Tuesday. Great crowd, great questions.

Darroch Ball spoke about this blue government's unbalanced business-focused – over people-focused – approach to social investment and youth affairs. Specifically, not raising the youth justice age.

Fletcher Tabuteau came to talk about the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement. Specifically addressing how Investor-State Dispute Settlement provisions are an attack on New Zealand's sovereignty.

I was the lucky last solo speaker, privileged to discuss immigration, homelessness and transport – more detail on policy announcements such as Route K, no tolls, light rail investigation and holding the blue party to their promises on 15th Ave and Turret Rd.

Valuable and positive Q&A followed, but getting passionate people home at a reasonable hour is becoming New Zealand First's biggest challenge.

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Last Tuesday was another great public forum at the RSA, Greerton. A really great crowd led to more great questions, and we could have carried on all night, but you don't mess with ex-service people and their booking slots, so we left in a loud, but orderly fashion, pretty close to our scheduled departure hour.

Darroch Ball, New Zealand First MP, based in Palmerston North, spoke about this blue government's unbalanced business-focused, rather than people-focused approach to social investment, and Youth Affairs - specifically, not raising the youth justice age from 16 to 17. One of the key recent cases where this problem was highlighted is then-17-year-old rugby player, Losi Filipo, who was clearly physically built like an adult when he assaulted people.

Fletcher Tabuteau came over the Kaimais from Rotorua to talk: TPPA. Specifically addressing how ISDS provisions are an attack on New Zealand's sovereignty, where government policies come into conflict with interests of foreign corporations and their bottom lines - or their ability to line their bottom pockets at our expense. New Zealand First is determined to protect New Zealand for all New Zealanders.

I was the lucky last solo speaker - really got to work on my 'rock, paper, scissors' skills - and was privileged to discuss immigration, homelessness, and transport - another vitally important topic for Tauranga at the moment, with around 15 families moving to Tauranga weekly, adding to the traffic on our roads. Obviously, we at New Zealand First are taking this issue incredibly seriously, having recently announced policies to remove tolls on Route K, and investigate Light Rail for Tauranga, along with our ongoing fight to hold the blue party to their promises to get Turret Road and 15th Avenue double-lanes in both directions.

A huge amount of valuable and positive Q&A followed. We spoke to topics including: the 2017 election, our increasing youth membership, and key party policies. As noted, getting meetings to end on time, seems to be New Zealand First's biggest challenge these days.