“We’ve got a lot going for us. In terms of our economic recovery, we have turned a corner.
“Our economy is growing faster than the Australian economy and it’s 7.7 per cent larger than what it was before Covid-19.”
She believed it crucial the country stayed the course.
“With just about every single initiative to reduce our emissions, the opposition - be it ACT, National or New Zealand First - want to chop it.
“Kicking the can down the road is not the answer. What is that doing for our kids’ futures?”
Lewis knew people were feeling the pinch financially but government measures, such as removing $5 prescription fees, were helping.
The Government had spent three years working to reform the grocery sector, to make it more competitive and to prevent supermarkets from being able to block others from opening.
“We have put in place a grocery commissioner (Pierre van Heerden) and now we are seeing the benefits of that.”
The Government had cut back on spending and was focused on “bread and butter issues”.
For a lot of people, that was the cost of living, healthcare and education.
“Petrol, food, housing and power - the main expenses for households. We have done work to improve all of those areas,” Lewis said.
“What concerns me is (National) saying they will cut all these (government) back office jobs. That means thousands of people could be made redundant if there is a change of government.
“If you’re cutting spending, there is going to be no job creation.”
Lewis had worked hard with Kāinga Ora to get more houses built in Whanganui.
There were now close to 200 “in the pipeline”.
National’s plan to reverse the ban on foreign buyers would heat up the housing market and prices would rise accordingly, she said.
“That worries me and a lot of the people I’ve talked to.
“If they (National) reverse interest deductibility for existing houses, that will push first-home buyers back out of the market again. It will give investors a leg up.”
Centralising the health system (Te Whatu Ora) meant more money was available to put into frontline clinical services, Lewis said.
“I had Dr Ayesha Verrall, our minister of health, here in Whanganui and one of the cool things we got to see was where the chemo and infusions unit is going to open later this year.
“She said that is an exact example of what we are hoping to achieve - freeing up money so we can provide services closer to where people live.”
Lewis was not worried about her place on the party list.
She is currently at number 50.
“I know a lot of MPs and candidates who will spend weeks phoning around the people on the list moderating committee - the ones who rank us - but I can say, hand on heart, I didn’t make one phone call.
“I’m not interested in chasing a list place. My heart has always been here, to represent the people of Whanganui, South Taranaki and Stratford.
“It‘s about making sure they aren’t just surviving but thriving. I’m in this for the right reasons.”
She said she was proud of the runs she had got on the board for the Whanganui electorate.
Examples included shoring up central government funding for the port, which “nearly got pulled”, fighting to get cellphone reception along State Highway 3 and helping to secure exemptions for international students at the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy.
“I’ve had a hand in securing the future of education in Hawera and I’ve had a hand in securing transport choices funding in Stratford.
“Right across the electorate, these things are happening and I’ve played a part in that.”
Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
