My Political Beliefs
I believe our politics have become so Bi-Partisan that many have lost the ability to review and evaluate ideas for the value they have rather than where they come from.
For me we need balance, we can't build a country by lifting one aspect up at the expense of others.
For me we have to grow our nation into something we are proud of, as a result when we build up our economy we have to make sure it brings our people along, when we build our business environment we have to strengthen the governance.
Our country has to be one where people and business owners that work hard for their families should be able to afford to pay for groceries, do Friday night take aways, go camping once a year, buy a house, and live their best life.
Our People
We have to simplify how we deliver outcomes.
We have to create a Priority for general spending by government, we can't fix everything at once, we be real and target as much expenditure as we have in key areas till we have them functioning well.
Health
Education
First responders
Infrastructure
If it doesn't fit these priorities and funding isn't ring fenced, don't ask, it ain't happening, focus on the four priorities till we have these issues under control then move on.
How do grow our country for its people to thrive
I struggle with some of the logic of our policies that just seen to over complicate life.
As an example so We have a philosophy in this country to help those that need help. So we have a tax system that goes, hey we will take this portion of money from you to help those we can, cool, but hey, we give those people some money, but we will take some back, just because we can...
Wait a minute that's not new money, that's what you took from people in the first place for the purpose of helping, so how inefficient is that, to give and then take away money. Just make benefits take free, so its set money in hand. Stop losing some of it in a bureaucracy.
Benefits become tax free
Kiwi Saver: we want you to save for your retirement (basically so the Government doesn't have to pay for you in the future), but hey we are going to make it so you can't maximize the returns... We the government will tax you on the money you make that we have stipulated you cant use till you retire, resulting in you making less for your retirement, but that taxation just means the government then needs to subsidize you more in the future... that's just daft... just supercharge Kiwi Saver. and get out of the way.
Kiwi Saver becomes tax free
Where there are these counter productive outcomes in our policies, install commonsense and practical solutions that focuses on how we benefit people effectively and efficiently. Get the politics out of it.
Establish a law If you do business in NZ you can not offer the same/equivalent product or service cheaper in another country
Time to end Sainsbury in London having cheaper lamb than what our butchers can buy it for in New Zealand, stop the likes of Telco's charging us twice what they do elsewhere for data, stop banks charging us more than what they do in Australia for at times lesser services.
Education
Education in my belief is critical for the future of our nation.
I am dyslexic, my education was something I had to work at daily, to commit to, to fight for... as such I deeply understand the importance of getting our education system right.
We have 156,000 primary and high school students who need help...
Both Labour and the Coalition plans provide solutions to 15,000 - 16,000 students only.
Fundamentally both plans are failing us
Education for me has to be one of our key operational priorities, it is something we can't afford to not invest in...
Is Nationals plan around structured learning a bad thing
In of itself, NO... as a starting point for education its simplicity aides people like me, it gives us a chance to understand the basics, and to build from that
Is it the magic bullet - NO - no system that wholly focusses on a single approach ends up successful long term.
Key International learnings we need to implement:
The key defining element of successful education systems worldwide is teacher to student ratio's
NZ ratio's are well above best practice standards that drive the best outcomes in education. We have to prioritize investing in more teachers and more classrooms especially at the early stages of education
Learning Support
If teacher ratios is the first arrow in the quiver learning support is definitely the second. Learning support is where flexibility of approach and targeted learning wraps around students.
We have to invest in support teachers who are trained to work with children one on one, weekly, who work through multiple approaches till they find a learning system that works for that individual. They create the opportunity for every kid to find their greatness
This is where technology has to be incorporated into learning, where we c use the tools of our generation to take learning into the modern age.
Removal of the importance of Exams
This is an element many of you may find problematic, however the best education systems in the world don't start exams until late in the education piece.
Exams in these systems aren't used the way US and UK systems do, they are seen as part of a grading process but not the fundamental aspect.
Early stage education focuses on, teaching kids how to learn, how to problem solve, teamwork, and on understanding the basics
It makes sense when you think about it, in work No-one is ever evaluated on an exam at the end of the year for how well they have done, its about performance and outcomes over a period of time, additional training and tests may be apart of progress but not the definition of success.
Make exams apart of the system so that it can add a level of grading but not so that
Increased Flexibility
One aspect of NZ's high school education system is that its specialized, and under Nationals current model it gets more so.
So if you want to go into trades you stop having access to business schools, if you want to be an architect you can't do arts. If there's a subject that motivates you and keeps you in school say outdoor education that doesn't allow you to include the results into your Uni application. There is so many cross overs between practical and academia that start to become limiting from this approach, which just makes no sense.
Charter Schools
Public money shouldn't be used to build or maintain buildings and assets that private entities use to profit from.
Charter schools have to function off their own financial model
Charter schools have to have transparency and accountability as part of the education and establishment process
Charter schools have to deliver the curriculum
They have to align with current business
There has to be strong checks and balances about how charter schools operate, the comprehensive systems in place for appointing them. The modern charter schools can't have systematic differences to current private and public school requirements. They can't be a mechanism for privatizing the education system or existing public schools.
First Responders
Our first responders have to be fully funded.
No if's, No buts,
Equipment needs to function, work, and be fit for purpose
Healthcare
Create a healthcare system, health workers want to be a part of:
Fund enough doctors and nurses:
Enable a Bond process for doctors and nurses to stay and work within NZ, that then enables over a period of time a reduction of their student loans for committing to NZ
Fund enough staff to ensure the health system can function with capacity
Upgrade Hospitals and medical equipment
Utilising capital programs to upgrade hospitals and medical equipment to enable greater efficiencies, throughput, and positive outcomes.
Invest in health,
Create an over arching health philosophy to prevent where possible, identify early, deliver real outcomes.. if that becomes the mantra of our nation around healthcare we should start to see real changes in our system as well as better long term outcomes for people.