Polytechs and the primary sector

Two things from me this week. Firstly, I’d like to cover what we’ve learned about the Government’s vocational education reforms and what they’ll mean for regional polytechs and apprentices.

Until recently the Government had kept quiet on its plan to reform polytechs. That’s changed. We released information last week showing the Government’s reforms will be wider-reaching than first thought and will strip power and assets from regional polytechs and hand it all to Wellington bureaucrats.

Regional polytechs will be made subsidiaries of a new statutory entity called New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology. After two years those polytechs will be amalgamated.

These polytechs will be centrally controlled from Wellington and will have their cash and assets ring-fenced regionally meaning the successful ones will lose the cash reserves they’ve worked so hard to build up.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins is ideologically steamrolling over successful polytechs and ignoring what’s best for students and regional New Zealand.

They also want to do away with out of region provisions, like Otago Polytechnic’s Auckland campus, which have shown to be hugely important in getting learners to the regions and attracting international students to New Zealand.

Locals know what’s best for locals. These reforms will strip regional New Zealanders of power over their own institutions and gift it to the Wellington bureaucracy.

On a more positive note, I released National’s latest policy discussion document at Fieldays covering the primary sector and how a National Government will tackle the issues facing our regions.

Key proposals from the Primary Sector Discussion Document include a new Primary Sector Visa, that will see our regions better able to attract and retain the workforce they need to thrive, increased penalties for biosecurity offences to protect our food producers from incursions and piloting a new Mobile Rural Health Clinic to service isolated communities.

We understand that farmers and growers are concerned about mounting workforce shortages, employment law reforms, climate change and environmental regulations and increasing taxes.

Our experienced and dedicated team of rural MP’s have worked hard to come up with a series of ideas and proposals that we think can address these issues, and we are excited to hear your feedback.

This document is part of the biggest policy development process by an Opposition in over a decade.

National holds every rural seat in Parliament except one and we’re proud to represent rural New Zealand. We’re working hard to ensure we’re ready to govern in 2020 should we have the opportunity.

Check out the Primary Sector Discussion Document here and have your say.