With Christmas around the corner, it’s a good time to reflect on the year that has gone and acknowledge how tough it has been for many Kiwis.

The cost-of-living crisis we face is clearly evident at this time of the year, with nearly 50% of families expecting to tighten their belts over the holiday break according to recent polls.

For some this just means fewer presents under the tree, but for too many it means less food on the table and higher costs they are increasingly unable to meet. Something has to change going forward. More has to be done to get our country back on track and prospering once again.

Next year will be an opportunity to consider our country’s future as we prepare for a general election, and there will be plenty of time for politics after the holiday break.

For now, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and an enjoyable summer with family and friends. 

I also wanted to share a bit of good news with you - the new Howick Police Station on Cook Street is officially open!

On Monday, I was excited to attend the official opening of the new Howick Police station, located at 76 Cook Street. This station is the culmination of months of hard work preceded by an outpouring of support from our community to keep a local Police presence, after they were forced to move out of their previous station when Auckland Council decided to sell the land it was located on.

This is great news for the people of East Auckland and for the community constables who do an incredible job in our area, and just in time for summer. Thank you to everyone who played a part in this important effort to keep our cops local and to everyone who attended the public meeting Christopher Luxon and I held in Howick calling for the station to stay. This is a great outcome for Howick! 

The summer holidays are a special time for New Zealanders, with a chance to take a breather and refresh for the year to come. I know many of you will be heading away to enjoy some time outside of Pakuranga, and for those that do I urge you to be safe wherever you go and be patient if traveling on busy roads.

Thank you for all your support this year. It is an incredible privilege to serve as the Member of Parliament for Pakuranga, and I hope to earn your trust again next year to continue serving this electorate in Parliament. 

Once again, have a Merry Christmas and a safe summer break – I look forward to seeing you all in 2023!

Kind regards,

Simeon Brown

Member of Parliament for Pakuranga