Plenty to celebrate as we move into a New Year

The holiday season brings with it a chance for us all to spend some quality time with our families and friends. It is a time to smear on the sun block, soak into the care-free summer and celebrate the company of those around us.

And there is plenty to celebrate as New Zealand moves out of one of the toughest economic recessions in six decades. There are plenty of positive signs that suggest 2010 is going to be a much better year for our nation.

The National-led Government has brought New Zealand out of recession and we are continuing with our economic plan to ensure that our economy keeps growing from strength to strength.

Consumer confidence is up and so are our expectations for a brighter future as our country continues to fight back from the economic downturn.

Over the past 12 months, the streets of New Zealand have also been made safer with more than 135 additional police being assigned to Counties-Manukau as part of our plan to get 300 more police in that region by the end of next year and 600 nationwide by the end of 2011.

We have also passed tough legislation that keeps repeat violent criminals in jail where they belong.

Already, we are starting to see results from these and other initiatives with burglaries, car crimes, bag snatching, family violence and disorder all dropping significantly in the Counties-Manukau region over the past two months.

We are working to ensure that our country becomes a safe and mare prosperous nation as we move into 2010. We will be continuing to deliver on our promises and ensure that New Zealand is a place where families can grasp opportunities.

As we move into the holiday season, I encourage you all to take care to make the holiday a safe one as well as a happy one.

With so many families on the road, this time of year often brings with it a spike in road crashes and fatalities and I urge those of you travelling over the summer holidays to take care and be patient on the roads.

Don't speed - remember it's more important that you get to your destination safely than you get there quickly. 

Also, please take care in the water this summer.

Last year during the Christmas/New Year season there were 10 drowning incidents throughout New Zealand - which means that 10 lives were needlessly wasted while out enjoying summer breaks.

As Associate Minister for ACC, one of my delegations is injury prevention - including drowning-related injuries - and I take this job very seriously because it has the ability to save lives.

Statistics show that people aged between 15 and 34 are the most likely to drown, which means that people who are often considered strong and healthy are the most likely to fall victim to a drowning tragedy.

 So please always swim between the flags, never swim alone, don't go out past your own swimming ability and always wear a lifejacket while out on a boat or fishing.

By taking these simple measures we can ensure a safe and care-free summer for all and we can continue to celebrate our country's growth in 2010.

Happy  Holidays.