National launches Nelson campaign

Nelson MP Nick Smith last night pledged to ‘‘pull out all stops’’ to secure a digital academy for the city.

The National MP’s comments came during his party’s Nelson campaign launch at the Trafalgar Centre.

Smith spoke about the achievements of the National Government and outlined what his re-elected party would do for the region across key election areas including housing, health, water management and education.

Education spokeswoman Nikki Kaye recently announced National would establish Digital Academies to give year 12 and 13 students practical, work-based learning opportunities as a ‘‘springboard into the IT sector’’.

Smith said his commitment was to ‘‘pull out all stops to secure such an academy for Nelson’’. He said his other edu- cation priority was to secure a site and get a clear timetable for a new school at Richmond West, where more than 1000 homes are expected to be built in two new Special Housing Areas.

Smith focused strongly on the economy, pointing out Nelson was the topperforming region nationally, according to the latest ASB Regional Economic Survey. Tasman district was at No. 2.

‘‘On the economy, the message is simple: Don’t mess with success.’’

Smith spoke about recent Government or National Party announcements affecting the region including support for the proposed $82.5m Waimea dam, a project he said was a ‘‘no-brainer with real environmental and economic benefits’’.

He also spoke about the announcement last week that a re-elected National Party would start construction on the proposed Southern Link route in the next parliamentary term, calling it ‘‘the best news Nelson has had in decades’’.

Smith said the launch was the opportunity to ‘‘put the case to Nelson voters as to why they should back National‘‘.

‘‘It is going to take a lot more than some rat poison and crass art to distract the Nelson National Party from our mission of making Nelson an even better place to live,’’ he said, referring to recent protests against him.