Tim was born in Auckland. He attended Avondale College and graduated from Carey Baptist College with a Bachelor of Applied Theology in 2006. He moved to North Canterbury in January 2007. He studied at the University of Canterbury and gained his Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning. He has been teaching Year 7 and 8 for the past 3 and a half years. He loves teaching and seeing young people develop and learn skills that will influence their lifelong pathways. He has also been involved in youth work and leadership.
Tim is married to Sonya (April 2008) and they have four month old twins, which keep them both very busy.
Tim enjoys travelling both within New Zealand and overseas, with his most memorable trip being a visit to his World Vision sponsored child in Bangladesh.
His love of sports has kept him busy over time, and has played cricket for Rangiora and football for Waimakariri over the last four years. He enjoys listening to New Zealand music.
Top 5 Issues
- - Crown ownership of Foreshore and Seabed.
- - Repeal of the Emissions Trading Scheme.
- - Removal of the ban on light smacking.
- - Alcohol reform - including the drinking age back to 21.
- - Making referenda binding.
Personal Profile
Authorised by Kevin Stitt of 29 Gillies Avenue, Newmarket, Auckland
Questions answered by Tim De Vries
Question
Tim De Vries's Reply
Hi there Carol,
Thanks for your question. For the best place to view what the Conservative Party and I are standing for this election, you will be best to read our publications for more details on our website www.conservativeparty.org.nz which gives a much better overview of our policies as we approach this eleciton. However, I'll be happy to outline five points here as the "Top 5" issues.
Crown ownership of Foreshore and Seabed.
National, on behalf of the crown, has given ownership of the foreshore and seabead over to private iwi interests. The foreshore and seabed is an asset that we should all have ownership of as New Zealanders. The Conservative Party believes that ownership of the foreshore and seabed should be returned to Crown ownership.
Repeal of the Emissions Trading Scheme.
New Zealand reducing its emissions, being such a small country in terms of population, would have no impact on a global scale. The ETS means we pay more for petrol and electricity, which means busineses and farmers (farmers being a massive part of our economy) are impacted financially. The Conservative Party would remove the ETS.
Removal of the ban on light smacking.
87% of people voted in a 2009 referendum that parents should be able to use reasonable force to control or discipline their child. This referendum was essentially ignored by the government. The Conservative Party believes that we need to get back to common sense and give parents the option of using reasonable force to disciple their child.
Alcohol reform - including the drinking age back to 21.
Alcohol costs New Zealand an estimated $5 billion in social costs. Alcohol also damages brain development - the human brain continues to develop until the age of around 24. The Conservative Party will raise the purchasing age of alcohol to 21. We would also reduce the blood alcohol limit for drivers from 0.8 to 0.4.
Making referenda binding.
Healthy democracies need voter participation and constraints on the power of government. The Conservative Party will ensure that Citizens Initiated Referenda is binding when there is a clear majority (67%) of voters in support. We need to make sure, therefore, that questions are as clear as possible, that there are appropriate spending limits on promotion and that 5% of previous elections voters need to sign the petition before a referendum can be obtained.
check out other candidate's answers
- 2011
Waimakariri
Results - Progress
| Name | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| 36313 | ||
| 15014 | ||
| 1049 | ||
| 717 | ||
| 538 |
