- By Simeon Brown, Member of Parliament for Pakuranga
In my final column for 2025, I wanted to start by wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
The holiday season is always an enjoyable time of year, and our community loves to show its Christmas spirit with some of our amazing local events like the Christmas Fair and the Howick Santa Parade.
I’m privileged to have served another year as your MP for Pakuranga. There have been a lot of positives for our community in 2025, with good news like the opening of the Reeves Road Flyover, and the return of 60km/h speed limits on our major arterials like Pakuranga Road.
In Parliament, I’ve been working hard on your behalf as part of a Government that’s fixing the basics and building the future.
We’re slowly but surely turning things around, with a growing economy, improving education standards for our kids, and safer communities.
And as Minister of Health, I’m proud of the progress we’re making to bring waitlists down, ensure more people are getting the elective surgeries they need, and provide greater access to cancer treatments and timelier, quality healthcare.
Next year, New Zealand will hold a general election, and while a date hasn’t been announced yet the campaign will kick off almost as soon as the New Year does.
I’ll be working hard to earn your trust to continue as your local MP for Pakuranga, and I’m eager to get back to work next year following a short break over the holidays with my family.
With that said, there will be plenty of time to talk about politics in 2026. For now, take a breather, enjoy the holiday season, and relax with family and friends if you can.
My office will be shut over the Christmas period, closing on Friday, December 19, and reopening on Monday, January 19.
If you need to contact me during that time, please email PakurangaMP@parliament.govt.nz. This inbox will be checked periodically during the break, and we’ll assist with any urgent issues where we can.
Once again, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a happy New Year, and a safe and relaxing summer. I look forward to catching up with you in 2026!
