Election soapbox: Future bright for special Hawke's Bay

Hawke's Bay's sitting MPs have each been invited to write a pre-election column for publication in Hawke's Bay Today. First up is Craig Foss, National MP for Tukituki.

Backing the Bay is about positively building an even better Hawke's Bay.
Backing the Bay is about our families, our community and our future.
Chris Tremain and I work as a team for all of Hawke's Bay. That is very powerful when we are fighting for The Bay in Wellington making sure The Bay's case is heard around the Cabinet table.
Our united efforts enabled our DHB to be reappointed after they were outrageously sacked by the last Government. We have extended the airport runway, creating growth and job opportunities in The Bay. We have secured $2.6 million of funding for our cycle ways, our apples now have access into Australia, and we managed to make the air quality standards more balanced to reflect The Bay's unique environment.
Our past, present and future is linked to what we grow on our land. The world trusts our safe food production, they trust our environmental integrity, and they want to visit Hawke's Bay. They want to buy our produce. The future is so bright.
I am confident that the building blocks are being put in place to achieve our potential. McCain's, Heinz Watties, Pan Pac, Furnware, the Napier Port and many others are investing millions into our economic future, creating additional jobs. We are investigating a possible $200m+ investment in water storage for the plains. That would be a massive boost for our economy and environment.
Of course there are challenges to achieving our potential. Some say that our ageing population is an issue. Yet I value our older citizens as a tremendous opportunity for new business growth and community spirit. And by the way, it is not our older citizens who race around the street, wear patches or graffiti our community!
Our Prime Minister John Key has had to deal with the challenges of the global financial crisis and the Canterbury earthquakes. Our focus on rebuilding our economy, national standards, helping victims not criminals first, are the foundation blocks for an even better New Zealand.
The opposition wants yet more new taxes and to use GST to attack our food producing and processing jobs and industries. This is a direct attack on Hawke's Bay's core economic base and our jobs and families.
Their ongoing personal attacks, silly sideshows and ignoring of the endless deficits they created from their 9 years of rampant increased taxes and spending policies inflicted upon our country, shows they have not changed. Meanwhile, Chris Tremain and I are Backing the Bay and concentrating on the issues that matter.