Artists unite to support hospo

She said people who receive NZ Superannuation will benefit from National’s tax plan, as Super is tagged to the average after-tax wage.

“So when we increase average after tax wages quicker, your Superannuation payments lift more.”

She said National would make it easier to build things, make things, and grow things in New Zealand.

There’s too much “red tape” restricting businesses and people are finding it hard to deal with.

Willis said one of the things knocking business confidence is the “amount of crime in our communities”.

People have the chance to get their hands on a unique artistic print by spending at least $50 in certain local restaurants and cafes.

The project, entitled Feed Your Eyes, is part of the Arts Out East initiative supported by Te Tuhi and the Howick Local Board.

It’s created by Toni Mosley and sees a group of artists supporting local hospitality businesses.

The artists involved are Peatree, Greta Umbers, Louisa Afoa, Sarah Walker-Holt, Reuben Lankshear and Mosley. accumulated by Finance Minister Grant Robertson, she said.

Each of them will make a set of limited edition screen prints with Blue Bathtub Press based on their own creative practice.

People need to spend a minimum of $50 at one of the 11 participating eateries, and then exchange the receipt for a print at the Te Tuhi art gallery at 13 Reeves Road, Pakuranga. Go to www.artsouteast.org.nz for a list of the restaurants and cafes taking part in the initiative which is on until 6pm on July 23.

“I think we’d have a bit more forgiveness for Mr Robertson and his friends if we could point to wonderful new motorways, reduced waiting times for surgery, and greater achievement in our schools.

“But we’re not seeing those things. Instead, what we’re seeing is potholes on roads, speed signs telling people to go slower, surging violent crime, lower achievement in schools, and people having to wait longer not only to get an operation but just to see a specialist.”

Willis said National’s plan is to get the Government’s books back in order and drive more value for the money it spends.

It’ll set targets for what it wants to achieve and deliver from spending and hold people accountable for delivering on those targets.

“The third thing is when we tighten up the ship, we can afford to give middle-income earners and everyday workers a bit of a tax reduction,” Willis said.

“We’ve put out a plan to do that so a typical family could be up to $2000 a year better off if they’ve got two average income earners in their family.

“A one-income earning family would be about $1000 better off.”

“We have to get tougher on law and order. National makes no apologies for saying under our Government there will be tougher consequences for crime.

“We will sentence people appropriately, we’ll go after the gangs, and we’ll also intervene earlier to stop young offenders careening down the path of crime.”

On education, she said if people looked inside school classrooms today, “we should have reason for concern”.

Many classrooms are empty, or half empty, because so many pupils are truant from school.

“Even when they are attending school, the rates of achievement in reading and writing and maths have dropped. Not just relative to other countries, but relative to how well New Zealand students used to perform historically.

“That’s a real worry because we have an obligation to be teaching each generation more than the last, not less.”

Willis said National will take things back to basics in education.

Every primary-aged pupil will be taught an hour of reading, writing, and maths each school day.

“It’s pretty simple. We will set out a very clear curriculum with what each student needs to learn each year at school.”