The holiday season is a time to get together with family and friends, and enjoy the good things about the great Kiwi summer, particularly here in the Bay. It's also a time to look back in reflection on our collective efforts.
As we look back over the past year, I am proud of what this Government has achieved.
Parliament has wrapped up for the year having passed 120 bills into law, including KiwiSaver HomeStart legislation reflecting the Government's commitment to help more than 90,000 Kiwi families into their first home. We have 1,900 new potential homes in the Bay which will be built on land freed up through housing accords.
Businesses are confident and hiring more staff particularly here in the Bay with 8,100 new jobs in the last year.
Bay families are better supported with free doctor visits and prescriptions for children under 13, plus we extended paid parental leave by two more weeks. We're doing more to help children living in hardship, including increasing benefit rates for families with children by $25 a week - the first real increase in more than 40 years.
