The new Labour-New Zealand First-Green Party coalition Government has wasted no time in making a lot of promises, many of which will benefit the regions.
It is good news for Hawke's Bay which seemed to miss out every time the old National Government doled out cash at Budget time.
Someof the things new Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has promised include a $1 billion-a-year Regional Development (Provincial Growth) Fund, the re-establishment of a NZ Forestry Service, and significant investment in regional rail. Also, although Labour's campaign plan to introduce a water tax has been scrapped, a royalty will be charged on bottled water exports, and existing irrigation subsidies established under the previous Government's Crown Irrigation scheme will be honoured.
This is all good in theory, but we will have to see what actually comes our way and where, for example, the royalties from the bottled water exports go - to central government coffers or to the regional councils.
Another positive move in our favour is the appointment of Napier MP Stuart Nash as a Cabinet Minister and Ikaroa-Rawhiti MP Meka Whaitiri as a Minister outside Cabinet. Both are passionate about their electorates and have, when they were on the opposition benches, worked very hard to have the issues of the Bay heard in Parliament.
The important thing for both of them is to not let their ministerial responsibilities totally consume them so that they forget about the region that elected them.
It is a fine balance for any electorate MP who becomes a minister, but hopefully our two representatives are up to it.
