It was a packed house at Taupō MP Louise Upston’s Friendly Forum in Cambridge last week but nothing of a “local” nature was discussed for the first 50 minutes.
Taupō MP Louise Upston listens intently as a woman talks about the impact the recently announced disability measures are having on her. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Disability advocates from outside the electorate saw it as an opportunity to ask about Upston’s announcement the previous week she would transfer commissioning services for people with disabilities to the Ministry of Social Development.
One woman was distraught as she told of her caregiver funding being stopped.
Upston said she had to “rip the plaster off” and stabilise the disability support system which saw the Ministry of Disabled People run out of money for services.
Others wanted her and the government to take action to prevent further killings in Gaza as part of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Taupō MP Louise Upston gestures for calm at her Friendly Forum last week attended by about 50 people. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Others wanted the importation of “cheap and dirty” coal from Malaysia and Indonesia to stop and coal from Huntly used instead during the current energy crisis.
Some gasped when Upston mentioned there was talk of importing liquefied natural gas to make up for the drop in the country’s natural gas production.
Friendly forums usually last 90 minutes and give Upston – into her sixth term as Taupō MP – an opportunity to connect with her electorate in person and listen to their concerns.
The biggest “local issue” got an airing two thirds of the way in as Upston was asked for her views on the third river bridge crossing for Cambridge following Waipā District Council’s decision to take a location off the table. She said she was urging the council to decide so she could advocate in Wellington.
Cambridge Connections is temporarily on hold and a review has suggested a short-term decision could be to install northern on-off ramps at Tīrau Road to allow Leamington traffic to avoid the central business district.
Taupō MP Louise Upston welcomes the crowd of 500 to a Cambridge Town Hall public meeting watched by National Party leader Christopher Luxon. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Upston told The News after the meeting she had asked New Zealand Transport Agency to look at it as part of the work the agency was doing on the Cambridge to Piarere Waikato Expressway extension.
Upston was “incredibly frustrated” at the decision to pause the new Cambridge West Primary School in the Bridleways Estate.
“I thought it was grossly unfair of the previous government to announce it to progress it even though the funding wasn’t available.
“I will be pushing to find out the time frames for that school because I know that’s what the community is interested in,” she said.
Earlier last week Prime Minister Chris Luxon gave local government a rocket at the Local Government conference in Wellington telling them to stop the “nice to haves” and concentrate on the basics – rubbish, pipes, potholes and the maintenance of local assets.
Upston said Luxon’s message was based on feedback he regularly gets.
“People are concerned about rate increases.”
Her Taupō electorate covers Taupō, South Waikato and part of Waipā districts.
Asked about the spend on things like cycleways which had attracted opposition in Cambridge, Upston asked whether they were a priority.
“If you are going to put them in, how many are needed and does that reflect the views of the community?
“Look, councils, have to make tough decisions just as central government, have to make tough decisions. But you have to be factoring in the economic times that we’re in and whether or not It is wise to be spending on nice to haves in terms of essentials.”
Upston reiterated the need to keep personalities out of it and not attack elected councillors and staff.
“I love my job, but I hate (the) politics,” she said.
Taupō MP Louise Upston speaking at her packed Friendly Forum in Cambridge last week. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
