Simon Bridges National MP simonbridges.co.nz

It is great to be home in Tauranga after a couple of weeks in the USA.
While in America I learned a lot about the American style of government and foreign policy and security, but I also learned a lot about this diverse country's culture – no one city or county is the same, and each is a melting pot of ethnicities and opinions.
My time was divided between America's capital, Washington DC, Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco. In Portland I had some of my most practical and interesting meetings. One was with the state's Office of Emergency Management, which detailed for me their plans in the event of natural disaster. I also met with the city's FBI. In this later meeting I learned that the FBI throughout the US is constantly facing terrorist-related threats and therefore puts a huge effort into successfully intercepting and eliminating them so that America's people are kept safe.
For more on my trip please feel free to visit my website at www.simonbridges.co.nz
Budget 2011 sets out the next steps of the government's programme to build faster growth, increase national savings and create sustainable jobs built on savings, exports, and productive investment.
It also sets up a $5.5 billion Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Fund to help rebuild Christchurch after the two devastating earthquakes.
This is a responsible and balanced Budget for the times. It takes steps to ensure the government returns to surplus by 2014/15, so we can start repaying debt and contribute to higher national savings.
National is ensuring future generations of New Zealanders are not saddled with enormous amounts of debt, and that your tax dollars are going to the things that you really care about – more police officers, teachers, nurses, and doctors, and less money spent on interest rate payments to foreign lenders.
We have continued to protect vulnerable New Zealanders through extensive programmes such as Working for Families, New Zealand Superannuation and welfare benefits, as well as investing significantly more in health and education.
Better public service
We're continuing our drive to build better public services. The Budget frees up $5.2 billion over four years for frontline public services and paying off debt.
And we have taken decisions to better target spending to those most in need. This will ensure that schemes like Working for Families, KiwiSaver, and interest-free student loans remain affordable and sustainable into the future.
We also intend to extend the mixed ownership model to four state-owned energy companies and reduce the government's major shareholding in Air New Zealand – with the government retaining majority control.
We believe there is significant merit in extending the mixed ownership model to these companies. It will help reduce government debt, increase investment opportunities for ‘mum and dad' investors, and improve the companies' financial performance.
Elections
Our changes to KiwiSaver, Working for Families, and student loans, and extending the mixed ownership model will not affect people before the election. We're giving voters all the information they need to make a choice at this year's election.
The economy is starting to pick up momentum and the forecast today shows us averaging about three per cent growth over the next four years.
This will deliver us the 170,000 new jobs and wage increases that many households have been looking forward to.
Budget 2011 continues to build a strong platform for growth.
A growing economy is the only way we will create jobs, boost incomes, and provide the high-quality public services you and your family need.