Raymond was born in 1955 in Whakatane and grew up at Waioeka.  Raymond is currently a self employed engineering contractor.
Married Lynette (Primary school teacher) in 1977. They have 3 adult children. Over the years Raymond and Lynette have taken an active role in the community.
While always interested in things political Raymond became seriously concerned by the asset sale programme that began in 1987. He firmly believes that any asset reduction reduces the government’s ability to provide stable and sustainable support to the people and industries of New Zealand. This led him to start following New Zealand First and eventually joining 10 years ago.
While Raymond’s sporting interests are rugby SCUBA Diving, fishing and underwater hockey and through his club involvement became President of the New Zealand Underwater Association, work for which he was awarded Life Membership. Raymond’s involvement with recreational fishing has given him a keen awareness of the unsustainability of current fishing practises.  He is currently the President of Underwater Hockey New Zealand.
Raymond is fully supportive of all New Zealand First policies and looks forward to New Zealand First returning to Parliament this year.

Top 5 Issues

1. We’ll have ONE LAW FOR ALL.
   
   Which means:
   
   • We all own our foreshore and seabed
   • We fly one flag
   • We have one court system
   • We follow one set of laws
   • We have one social welfare system
   • A NZ health system
   • A NZ education system
2. We will rebuild our failing economy with
   
   • Export plans to treble returns
   • Savings plans for economic freedom
   • NZ currency for NZ not Wall ST
   • Tax breaks for real wealth creators
   • Real research and development incentives
   • Rewards for the nation’s builders
3. We stand for a fair tax system, where everyone pays a fair share.
   
   So we are going to rewrite and simplify NZ’s mangle of tax laws so that they are understandable, unavoidable, and fair.
   
   Everyone will pay their fair taxes.
   
   That means:
   • Less personal tax
   • Less company tax
   • Less GST at 12.5 not 15%
   • Removing double tax on savings
   • Removing GST on rates
   • Removing secondary tax
4. Exporters create our real wealth. We have a plan to help them.
   
   New Zealand First will keep our currency pegged to that of our main trading partners.
   
   That way the exporters will be able to expand, increase exports and create new jobs, new wealth for the Family New Zealand
   
   We will stop the sale of state owned assets, and the control of our power stations and the lakes and rivers that feed them.
   Will stop the sale of our prime farmland to foreign interests.
5. We need to support our young people to stay, live and work in New Zealand. Here are just some of our policies:
   
   1) More trade training for our young people
   
   2) We will help pay the wages for apprentices using dole money and an employer top up
   
   3) We will help students pay their loans as long as they qualify and stay here
   
   4) And we’ll throw out fictitious national standards in early education opposed by 90% of the teachers

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