Angie Warren-Clark Labour MP

Flowers are blooming and after dinner beach walks are starting. I can almost taste the upcoming summer sunshine. While I'm working hard around the Bay and will be continuing my Parliament duties until the week before Christmas, I am certainly looking forward to the sunshine!

Firstly to everyone who ran for local government, whatever the result, my humble thanks for your desire to serve your community and step up to a very big task. Lifting your head high above the parapet is brave and campaigning is long, hard work. Thank you for your dedication and desire to make a difference. In particular, congratulations to Steve Morris who was re-elected, and our new ward councillor Dawn Kiddie.

A genuine thank you to councillor Leanne Brown, who did not seek re-election, for her service to our community. I worked closely with her during my time managing the Tauranga Women's Refuge.

In government we've been making moves to tackle New Zealand's long-term challenges. A few things I am particularly proud of is making big investments in mental health so people can get help at their local GP, funding for new cancer treatment equipment like radiation machines and new cancer drugs, Increased school funding so parents don't have to pay for school donations or NCEA fees, banning offshore housing speculators and stopping the sell-off of state houses.

After nine years of neglect too many issues were ignored and now we're paying the price. If we don't start now, things will only get worse. Getting things back on track is going to take time, but we've made a start.

Closer to home, a local river the Kaituna will be better protected, as this week we also amended the law to better protect indigenous freshwater fish that have been neglected for so long, while ensuring that the right to fish and managing fisheries still exists.