Merry Christmas!

Wherever you are this summer break, I hope you get the chance to rest and relax for another year ahead. Fingers crossed for sunshine! A big thank you to our wonderful team at the Tāmaki Electorate Office – Jaden, Jan, Cynthia, and Felix. The level of support they give to the electorate is admirable – helping youths with disabilities into schools, adults into emergency housing, families reunite with visa applications, and so much more. The electorate office is closing Friday 19 December and re-opening Tuesday 13 January. 

In this last month of the year, we hosted a community meeting for the Glen Innes Food Bank on Line Road. Thank you to all the locals who dipped into their own pockets to help someone in need and brought along goods for the meeting and Christmas spirit. Another thanks to the Citizens Advice Bureau volunteers who keep the Food Bank open. If anyone wishes to donate goods in the future to our local food bank, they take them in at the CAB office on Line Road. 

Christmas Cheer has been in the air! It was so much fun to attend the Carols on the Green event hosted by the Ōrākei local board and sing Silent Night and Away in a Manager with Sarah, Scott, Margaret, Angus, and Amanda, with the very talented Desley Simpson on piano! We were joined by pre-schools, and community choirs and filled up Vellenoweth Green. What a day!

I also attended the Glenbrae School Prizegiving. It was so awesome to see young students be awarded for their efforts through the year. I was especially pleased to see that the school for the first time ever is awarding Certificates for Attendance. Yes, you can be the best in the class academically, in sport or in dance, but there is a lot to be said for being able to show up time and time again, when it’s raining or you just don’t want to. Congratulations to the Principal, Robbie Perreau, and all the students on their successes. 

This month we celebrated 25 years of the Glendowie Kindergarten on Riddell Rd. The kids put on very cute and talented performances, and I got talking to members of the Auckland Kindergarten Association who showed us photographs of Auckland kindies over the years. It was easy to see Glendowie Kindergarten is a well-loved institution in the area and helped raise thousands of locals. 

I also hosted a get together at Good George in Mission Bay to show my appreciation for all those who deliver leaflets or support my efforts in the community. If you’re one of them, I can’t do it without you. Thank you. If you’d like to be more involved, please get in touch through the emails on this newsletter. 

In sad news, I’m sure you’re all aware of the tragic passing of one of our local constituents, and the harming of another on the Bus through Glen Innes to Ōrākei a few weeks ago. My heart goes out to his family. I’m shocked and saddened by the attack. You should feel safe to go to work, as should all members of our community. Crime and safety are priorities shared by my colleagues in Government. People deserve to be safe here.

This year I hosted a community safety meeting which was open to all member of our community and brought together Police, Government, local Council, AT, and community organisations. Auckland Transport advised that they had placed transport officers on public transport, and in my follow up with them later in the year, they were rolling this out further. The Police and Children’s Ministers let us know that their focus on reducing youth crime was working, with measurable reductions. We’ve also brought in the three strikes law for repeat offenders. Importantly, all representatives from these different entities were on the same page and willing to work together for our community.

There are lots of policies being rolled out to make our lives safer, but there is always more we can be doing. We’ll keep prioritising it for your safety. 

That is all from me for the year, see you in 2026 and have a Merry Christmas!