From Mint Innovation\u2019s work turning e-waste into gold to Toku Eyes\u2019 developing AI that detects eye disease, to the world\u2019s first tourism hydrofoiling electric ferry designed and built by Vessev \u2013 Auckland is a city of pioneers.<\/p>\n
Even in my own backyard of West Auckland, I\u2019ve met some amazing people working across manufacturing, film, and engineering, reassuring me there\u2019s no shortage of Kiwi ingenuity in our city.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s this innovation that Labour will back with the New Zealand Future Fund – creating secure, well-paid jobs and keeping our ideas, wealth, and people here at home.<\/p>\n
When I think about Auckland\u2019s future, I think about a city that I want my kids and my moko growing up in, studying in, working in, and contributing to.<\/p>\n
I want an Auckland rich with opportunity. A city that inspires generations to build their futures here at home rather than feeling they have to go abroad, as so many have in recent years.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s unacceptable that Auckland, the economic engine of the nation, currently has the highest unemployment rate in New Zealand. It\u2019s also disheartening that countless businesses have been forced to close up shop, hollowing out the city, because there\u2019s been no fix.<\/p>\n
We need a sustainable long-term plan for Auckland. It\u2019s no use chopping and changing every three years because of political ideology. It\u2019s exactly why we\u2019ve said we\u2019ll be sensible when entering government regarding long-term projects already underway.<\/p>\n
We need infrastructure that reflects a growing population and addresses the challenges many Aucklanders face daily.<\/p>\n
This means ensuring Auckland stands the test of time and inevitable severe weather events. It means making life easier for Aucklanders and giving them certainty on major infrastructure across transport, housing, and big events.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a huge shame that National stalled construction works nationwide \u2013 putting projects in limbo and costing up to 20,000 construction workers their jobs. This doesn\u2019t give certainty, nor does it instil any confidence in a government that can sensibly back Auckland.<\/p>\n
We know what can happen when there\u2019s genuine bipartisanship on long-term projects. The City Rail Link is a clear example of this. A project developed through successive governments resulting in Aucklanders getting a new, more efficient way to get around town later this year.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s crucial that we listen closely to what local communities are most concerned about and what their aspirations are for a better life.<\/p>\n
Aucklanders want a city with well-paid jobs, accessible hospitals, and affordable housing. It\u2019s why we\u2019ve said making an affordable New Zealand is our number one priority. It\u2019s why we\u2019ve announced policy like three free doctors\u2019 visits a year for every Kiwi.<\/p>\n
Sadly, what we\u2019re getting instead is a failing economy, with high cost-of-living causing pain for many who were promised a fix.<\/p>\n
With talks still ongoing for the Auckland Regional Deal, what has been previewed so far doesn\u2019t look like much. In saying that, we shouldn\u2019t understate the importance of having a better framework for ongoing engagement between Auckland Council and the Government – but it\u2019s clear Aucklanders are wanting more.<\/p>\n
They want to get to work without sitting in traffic for hours, to be able to pay their bills, see a doctor, access affordable housing, and have money left over at the end of the week to do something nice with their wh\u0101nau.<\/p>\n
A globally ambitious Auckland is one that is ambitious for its people.<\/p>\n
T\u0101maki Makaurau has everything it needs to thrive \u2013 it just needs a Government that backs it.<\/p>\n
Carmel Sepuloni is Labour\u2019s deputy leader and the party\u2019s spokesperson on Auckland.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From Mint Innovation\u2019s work turning e-waste into gold to Toku Eyes\u2019 developing AI that detects eye disease, to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":355347,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[95,12889,51,109121,38691,34218,266,3339,232,48425,5971,111,43,139,69,2170,187918,67015,112,80],"class_list":{"0":"post-355346","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-zealand","8":"tag-and","9":"tag-aotearoa","10":"tag-auckland","11":"tag-carmel","12":"tag-crucial","13":"tag-flourishing","14":"tag-government","15":"tag-housing","16":"tag-jobs","17":"tag-longterm","18":"tag-need","19":"tag-new-zealand","20":"tag-news","21":"tag-newzealand","22":"tag-nz","23":"tag-plan","24":"tag-sepuloni","25":"tag-thriving","26":"tag-transport","27":"tag-zealand"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=355346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355346\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/355347"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=355346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=355346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=355346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}