We asked high-profile young New Zealanders about their reflections of 2013, and their hopes and resolutions for the New Year.
Jami-Lee Ross, National Party MP for Botany, and Government Whip.
This year is going to be another huge year on all fronts – for me personally as a father and an MP and also for New Zealand. I am really looking forward to getting stuck into it.
With at least one red carpet premiere in New Zealand they will attract heaps of international attention and will do a lot for New Zealand’s reputation overseas.
Our son Henry will no doubt keep us on our toes as he bounds towards his second birthday. It’s been great fun watching him learn to walk, run and even dance in the past year. He has started talking so I’m sure as he masters it he will come out with some cheeky phrases. As any busy working parent will say, you always have to make sure you put time aside for the special little people in your life. I’d like to be able to spend more time with him this year.
In 2013 I was privileged to be made one of the two junior whips in the National Party caucus. It doesn’t mean I get to walk around with any sort of weapon, horse whip or otherwise. Rather I help keep an eye on what is going on in the debating chamber and work with other MPs to get legislation through the House. I have really enjoyed doing this job over the past year and I’m keen to continue as a whip.
I’m really looking forward to seeing the new Avatar movies made here. The effects in the first one were amazing and it was such a good movie. Aside from the boost it will give the film industry and lots of other businesses, the movies will be something we can all be proud of. With at least one red carpet premiere in New Zealand they will attract heaps of international attention and will do a lot for New Zealand’s reputation overseas.
Over the past year the economy has been gathering momentum. I can comfortably predict that we will reach surplus by 2014/15 which is going to be really good for the economy. We’re starting the year with growth of 3.5 percent which really makes New Zealand the envy of the world. That’s higher than most developed countries including Australia, Japan, Canada, the USA and the UK.
In 2014 I we should see a flurry of movement in the housing sector – more houses need to be built to ease the strain on supply. The engines have already started firing in this area with Special Housing Areas legislated for last year. The first 22 of these developments covering 15,500 new homes have been announced and a third batch is expected soon. Two of them are very close to my electorate and will be positive for the area. It will also be a good year for the extra 14,000 apprentices who are being encouraged to sign up, to make sure we have people with the right skills to do all this building.
As we all enjoy a bit of a break over summer, making the most of our stunning beaches and spending time with family, we can be really positive about what our future holds.