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My staff are often asked why I cannot accept invitations during the week or sometimes during the parliamentary recess.
When the House is in session, which is generally Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I have to be in Parliament, unless I am granted leave by the Government Whips.
This means I have to have as much notice as possible to get my leave application in, but there is still no guarantee of success. Unfortunately sometimes even when leave has been granted it can be pulled if there are not enough members in the House.
During recess MPs get the chance to catch up on things around their electorate but often Select Committees still meet.
Even in recess the Labour party still requires its MPs to seek leave and although I try to get around the electorate as much as I can during this time, often I have other commitments which may prevent this.
Unfortunately this is part of the role of a government MP.
I hope this goes some way towards explaining where my time is spent.
As for the school reviews, I have been asked to attend several meetings regarding the review in Masterton and I have tried to accommodate all requests.
I will take your comments and concerns and articulate as best I can your views to the Minister, but the actual process is the domain of the Minister himself and the Ministry, which advises him.
I understand there are concerns and grief over the Minister's interim decision, but this is by no means final and I would encourage you all to make your submissions and put your arguments to the Minister.
He will listen to sound reasons and I can assure you that he is not inflexible and can be swayed by logic, as has been demonstrated in Dannevirke with his decision to have two town schools instead of the suggested one.
This is great news for the community and I thank the Minister for taking the community's wishes into account.
Transit's decision on roading improvements in the southern approaches to Wairarapa and within the southern part of the electorate is also great news.
Work is already under way on the Te Marua to Kaitoke realignment, at a cost of $14.4 million, and I'm sure everyone who has driven this section of road appreciates how much easier it will make the trip to Wairarapa.
Rounding Muldoon's Corner on the Rimutaka Hill Road, which will cost $4.4 million, is a great safety step and means once work is completed trucks will no longer have to cross the centre line to get around the bend.
Biggest news for southern Wairarapa is the decision to replace the Waiohine Bridge, at a cost of $2.4 million.
Mayors, councillors, MPs and Wairarapa residents have argued long and hard for this and it is wonderful that a new bridge will now be a reality.
No longer will drivers have to hope for the best as tankers and trucks hurtle past on the narrow bridge and I for one will be extremely pleased when work is completed.
With the replacement of the Waiwaka Bridge, the bridge leading into Pahiatua and now the Waiohine Bridge, Wairarapa's ageing State Highway 2 bridges will meet modern requirements.
I would like to reiterate my stance on Masterton Hospital.
Masterton Hospital is not under threat and is in fact safer than it has been for some time. Wairarapa DHB is looking at ways to keep the services we already have and actually improving what is offered, such as othmalmology and renal dialysis which are needed in our area.
I have stated if Masterton Hospital was to close or services be cut, that if the people of Wairarapa demanded it of me I would resign. I was involved in the Hands Around the Hospital in 1991 and I certainly couldn't continue in this role if the hospital closed or services were reduced.
Some constituents might be interested to know improving dispute resolution procedures between taxpayers and Inland Revenue is the subject of a government discussion document that has just been made public.
No matter how good a tax system is, it is inevitable that there will be occasional disputes between taxpayers and the tax administration.
The current disputes process, introduced in 1996, appears to be meeting its objectives, which are to improve the quality and timeliness of Inland Revenue assessments and to reduce the likelihood and grounds for subsequent litigation.
The discussion document concentrates on the contact between Inland Revenue and the taxpayer to try to resolve disputes before they go to court.
It sets out a series of suggestions to further improve the process by making sure each step is completed according to the policy intent of the law, necessary documents are drafted to contain relevant information in an efficient way, and legislated time frames are consistent with today's business environment.
Submissions on the proposals close on 5 September 2003 and the discussion document, "Resolving tax disputes: a legislative review", can be found at www.taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz.
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