The good people of Papakura want their 24 hour police station back. Thank you to all who gave me their views on the return of our 24 hour police station. From this feedback it is evident that this is what the community wants. It has been suggested to me that worthy volunteers could put up their hand to help at the counter if this is needed. I will continue to raise this as an issue and fight for the good people of Papakura.

Times are getting harder for us all, with every week seeming to bring news of worsening economic conditions. Hard-working Kiwis are feeling the pinch from higher interest rates and skyrocketing costs for everyday essentials such as food, petrol, and power. Within households, people are having to tighten their belts and make hard decisions about where they should be spending their money.

National believes it should be no different in the state sector.

It’s time to stop the growth in bureaucracy we have seen over the past nine years of this Labour Government. It’s time to focus public spending on front-line services that make a real difference in people’s lives, rather than paper-shuffling and report-writing that does not. It’s time to cut out the low-quality spending that goes on in the state sector and let New Zealanders keep a little more of their own money.

Over the past eight years, the bureaucracy has grown out of all proportion to those parts of the state sector that actually serve the public. So bloated has the bureaucracy become that since 2000 it has been the fastest growing sector in the economy.

National is not going to reduce the number of public sector front-line staff. This should be absolutely clear – under National, the numbers of doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers, police, and other front-line staff will grow.

Instead, a National Government will cap the size of the core bureaucracy. We are going to make do with the resources we have, and work to get more value out of them. The simple fact is that we have enough bureaucrats to do the job already and National believes that the priority for resources in the state sector should be the delivery of front-line services.

The past nine years of Labour have been about growing the public service. The next National Government will be about growing services to the public. It’s time to bring some much-needed discipline into public spending and that’s what a National Government will do.

Papakura High School’s stand against students growing facial hair has my backing. The school recently ordered a senior pupil to remove his facial hair and that pupil saw fit to go to the NZ Herald publicising himself and the school about it.

The boy suggested the Government could pass a bill allowing young males to have facial hair at school similar to the bill allowing 16-year-olds to have tattoos and piercing. I say this was a prime example of young people being filled with talk about their ‘rights’ but seldom about their responsibilities.

School principal Angela Appleby told the Herald senior students were seen as role models for younger children and were required to set a good example. I congratulate the school for insisting on standards from senior students.

I fully support Papakura High School for taking a stand on standards.