The end of this strange, chaotic and elongated election campaign is drawing to a close! Have you voted yet? Please don't forget to get out and vote, either tomorrow, Friday or on Saturday itself. You can find polling places here.
This final week of the election campaign has been exhausting - I am working as hard as possible to ask voters for their support to be re-elected the MP for Hutt South. We started the week at the top of the Wainuiomata Hill in the driving wind and rain at 5.45am! The video is pretty hilarious - check it out. We've been doing "human hoardings" around the Hutt, handing out leaflets at train stations and major thoroughfares, knocking on doors, phone-calling voters and more.
I'm deeply grateful to the hundreds of people helping me - I couldn't do it without them. Watch out for us in the next couple of days - I'll be working hard right up until 7pm Friday! Before I forget - here's a copy of my latest campaign video which focuses on some local projects I've been working on recently. If you're keen to help out on the campaign in the next couple of days then please let me know - there's lots of things to do. You can also click here to make a donation to my campaign.
My normal work as an MP has also continued as well. Recently I have had a number of people contact me about unsavoury and antisocial behaviour in and around the bus stops outside Queensgate and on Bunny St in the Hutt. This area has been problematic for a while and needs a solution. The area is difficult because of the multiple different parties involved - Queensgate, the Hutt Council, Regional Council, the Police and Hutt Safe City. Issues include inadequate lighting, poor design and lack of passive surveillance. I have written to the Councils (local and regional), the Police and Queensgate and asked for a roundtable meeting to discuss a common approach to improving safety at the area. Sometimes getting everyone into the same room at the same time with the same purpose can be very useful. So far the response has been very positive and a meeting is being arranged for early November. Hopefully I am re-elected so I can attend!
There's a big game this weekend! No I'm not talking about the All Blacks - or the election - but Wainuiomata Football v New Plymouth Rangers! Wainuiomata won Capital Football's Premier grade this year and now play in a home and away series to get promotion to the Central League. Wainui were the winner in the first leg on the weekend 5-3 and they're now at home this Saturday at 2.30pm at Richard Prouse. Good luck guys! I'll be there.
Finally, a bit of fun to close out this week's Bulletin. In response to a few questions I’ve had in last couple of days.
1. You can’t vote once now and then again on Saturday - this is a one time only offer!
2. You can’t change your mind and change your vote - sorry!
3. Ladyhawke is a samoyed.
4. No the mullet wasn’t real. But it was a lot of fun!
5. Yes it might make a return!
Don't forget to vote and hopefully the next time I write to you I will be the re-elected MP for Hutt South!
Chris
P.S Here's week five of my Campaign Diary for Newsroom - I've really enjoyed writing these as the campaign goes on, and hopefully it gives you a bit of an insight into what it's like "on the trail!".
P.P.S Did you see Katie Bradford's shout-out to me this week on Breakfast? |
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Early start in Wainuiomata
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| It was an early start at the top of the Wainuiomata Hill on Monday morning. |
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The Cross Valley Link has been talked about since the 1960s and is currently part of the Hutt Council Long Term Plan. It is simply crucial we have better connections from the east of the city to the west of the city where SH2 is located. The Hutt Council recently identified the CVL as a top priority and agreed to lobby major political parties for a commitment to the CVL. National will deliver.
Congestion is currently choking the Hutt and the Esplanade is now regularly choked up not just at peak times but all throughout the day. We need new capacity going east to west in the city. |
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Laura Fergusson Trust Dinner
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| Laura Fergusson in Naenae is a place dear to my heart and so I jumped at tickets for a special meal there as part of ‘Wellington on a Plate’ on Friday. Awesome to catch up with my mate Ali as well, a resident there, and enjoy some lovely food prepared by top Wellington chefs. |
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| I always love attending the Enliven Woburn annual Wearable Arts show! Staff and residents really get into the spirit and it was incredible to see some of the designs! Thanks for inviting me along to share in the fun and fellowship. Even got to do a bit of a twirl myself! |
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St Bernard's Boys Working Hard
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| Ran into these guys in Year 11 at St Bernard's outside Queensgate yesterday - had to answer their questions for a survey. |
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| Sharing "langar" with Nicola Willis on the weekend at the Gurudwara Sahib (Sikh temple) in Naenae. |
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This is a special entry in Wellington on a Plate, available only at Bellamy's at Parliament. The Head Chef Josh Ross is a Hutt lad and he's created a delicious burger called "Garden to Table" which uses vegetables planted by students (including from the Hutt) and MPs (including me!) in the garden at Parliament earlier this year. It's a joint collaboration with excellent local charity Garden to Table. A portion of the sale of each burger will be donated to Garden to Table to help them continue getting New Zealand school children to grow, harvest, prepare and share fresh vegetables.
Here's the burger:
Prime Angus beef patty with Garden to Table beetroot relish, zucchini pickles, lettuce, crispy onions, Zany Zeus feta whip and housemade tomato sauce in a potato bun, with triple cooked beef fat fries.
PRICE: $22 / with Garage Project beer $32. |
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Hutt Valley Sports Awards
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Jenna and I really enjoyed the Hutt Valley Sports Awards last week A fantastic celebration of sporting success and talent in the Hutt. As always a brilliant night pulled together by Ken Laban and team with outstanding entertainment. Good to see Hutt legend Ewen Chatfield recognised for his amazing contribution to cricket - Naenae Old Boys' in particular.
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Lovely to catch up with Arabella and her Mum who came by to say hello while I was outside Queensgate yesterday :)
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| Lovely to talk to the smart students at Boulcott School on Monday this week. Ladyhawke was a big hit, too! See the video.
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Chris Bishop 
October 15, 2020
