Message from PM Luxon
Yesterday marks one year since the National-led Government took office and immediately got to work on reducing the cost of living, restoring law and order and delivering better health and education.
The achievements we’ve made in just one year are thanks to the resilience and determination of everyday New Zealanders.
There’s a lot more work to do, and I know many Kiwis are still doing it tough. But we have made real progress to ensure that Kiwis keep more of their hard-earned money, feel safer in their communities, can access life-changing medicines and treatments, grow their businesses, can benefit from critical infrastructure, and to help our kids achieve at school. Here are just some of the highlights from our first year in Government:
• Inflation has dropped to 2.2%, bringing relief from mortgages
• 83% of New Zealanders have received tax relief, putting more money in their back pockets
• Wages are growing faster than inflation, putting more money into Kiwis’ budgets
• 40,000 families have received FamilyBoost childcare payments to help reduce their childcare costs
• Delivered a 30% increase in Police foot patrols and a 60% decrease in ram raids
• Invested $604m in Pharmac to deliver up to 26 new cancer treatments
• Slashed the regulations holding back farmers
• Progressed the Fast Track Approvals regime to get stuff built, fast
• Led eight trade missions, delivered three trade agreements and resolved 16 barriers to trade because more Kiwi products on shelves overseas means higher incomes
• Cracked down on gangs and banned gang patches in public
• Progressed our plan for tougher sentences for serious criminals
• Banned cell phones in classrooms
• Required an hour of reading, writing and maths a day for our students
• Put in place structured literacy and maths from Term 1 next year so kids can grow the skills they need to succeed
• Invested $16.7b into health and set ambitious targets for shorter waits in the emergency department and for surgery.
My Government was elected on a promise to improve the lives of New Zealanders in the areas that matter most to them. We’re making good progress and I’m committed to keeping our promise with bold action that delivers positive results for all New Zealanders.
Thank you,
Christopher
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Neighbourhood Challenge: Who Can Crack This One? ⛓️💥❔
What has a head but no brain?
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Poll: 🗑️ Would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?
Aucklanders, our weekly rubbish collections are staying after councillors voted to scrap a proposed trial of fortnightly pick-ups.
We want to hear from you: would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?
Keen for the details? Read up about the scrapped collection trial here.
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83% Same!
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17% Would have liked to try something different
7 tips for buying your Christmas ham
It’s the centerpiece of the Christmas table, so when you’re peering into the supermarket chiller or ordering from the butcher, choosing the perfect ham can feel like a daunting task.
Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing one to bring home with you.
1. What type of ham to buy
You’ve got some decisions to make when it comes to the type of Christmas ham you’re going to buy.
Cooked on the bone (COB) ham is the traditional Christmas ham. If you’re buying a half ham, you’ll have the choice of the shank or fillet end. The shank is the part with the bone sticking out that gives the ham that traditional look. The fillet end is the round part that gives more meat. If you’re deciding whether to get a whole ham or half, consider how quickly you’ll be able to eat it all. You only have about a week to eat an opened ham before it will go off, so it can be a good idea to get two halves. That way you can eat one half during the week of Christmas and save the other for January.
Champagne ham has had the bone removed and only has the hock left on, so it’s easier to carve.
Pressed ham – also known as continental ham – has had the bones removed and has been pressed, so it’s also easy to carve.
2. Check the pork percentage
The label on a packaged ham will say what percentage is actually meat. Hams are injected with brine, to keep them moist, and additives. The brine injection level for manufactured hams is usually between 10% and 35% of the ham's weight. A manufacturer that wants to produce a cheap ham will add more water to bump up the weight.
3. Know how to tell if it’s New Zealand pork
By far, most of the hams bought in New Zealand this Christmas will be from pigs reared overseas. New Zealand imports pork from about 25 countries. It’s frustrating for New Zealand pig farmers because this ham can come from farms that don’t have to meet the same animal welfare standards as we have in this country. As a result, overseas meat is often cheaper.
If buying New Zealand pork is important to you, look for:
words on the packaging like ‘New Zealand pork’ or ‘born and raised in New Zealand’
4. Have a good look at the ham
If you’re going to be glazing your ham, look for one that is covered in a finger-thick layer of fat. This will give you the thickness you need to make good score lines.
New Zealand Pork’s website also advises looking for a ham that has a meaty texture rather than one that looks wet or rubbery. It says the ham’s skin should be smooth with even colouring. “If the knuckle is sunken, it may be overcooked. If the rind is buckled or uneven, it may be a sign of dryness.”
5. Ask a lot of questions
If you’re ordering your pork from a butcher, you probably won’t be able to compare hams like you would at the supermarket. So, make sure you ask lots of questions, now that you know what you’re looking for.
You could ask:
Is the ham made from New Zealand born and farmed pork?
What will be its injection percentage?
What flavours will it have?
You could even ask if there’s a glaze the butcher thinks would work particularly well with those flavours.
6. Know what size you’ll need
If the ham is the only meat on your Christmas menu, New Zealand Pork advises allowing 1kg of ham for five people. Or if you’ve got other meat options, 1kg will feed about six to eight people.
7. Know the best hams in New Zealand
The best hams of the year were awarded at the 100% New Zealand Bacon & Ham Awards earlier in the year so you can check out which ones got medals. Some of them are only available in the city the butcher is based, but a Farmland boneless ham available nationwide won a gold award and Woolworths bone-in and boneless hams picked up bronze.
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