An enormous responsibility
The last few years have been incredibly tough for many New Zealanders with patience wearing thin waiting on a final election result, and then, a coalition agreement.
But, that time has been well spent on an ambitious plan for our first 100 days in Office, and starting to improve New Zealanders’ lives. While it is ambitious to deliver 49 actions in 100 days, we have had to hit the ground running and repealing Three Waters, stopping work on Auckland Light Rail, and withdrawing taxpayer funding from Let’s Get Wellington Moving are our top priorities.
Because we believe that healthcare should be based on need, not race, we will introduce legislation to disestablish the Māori Health Authority. We have already started work to unravel Labour’s Polytechnic mega-merger blunder, Te Pūkenga, which has been a disaster for New Zealand’s vocational sector. Educational performance will be lifted by ensuring primary and intermediate schools across the board, from the start of 2024, are consistently teaching an hour each day of maths, reading and writing, and banning mobile phone use in class. Something that should never have been allowed in the first place. All of the above, and more, is in our 100-day plan, but it is the explosion in crime that is the most concerning. We all have the right to feel safe on our streets and in our homes – yet many communities across New Zealand live in an environment of fear and intimidation because of gang activities. This is not acceptable. We are going to crack down on those gangs by banning their insignia from being worn in public and ensuring that gang membership is an aggravating factor during sentencing.
Relief will come to our farming community, who, in recent years, have been made to feel they were public enemy number one. We recognise and value our farmers for what they are: that is, stewards of their land, striving to protect the land for future generations. It is an enormous responsibility and one they do not take lightly. New Zealand has some of the best farmers in the world, whose farming practices are among the most efficient and innovative in the world, and developed here in New Zealand. By farmers.
I have been humbled by the support shown by our rural communities for the new government, and, even more so, by their sense of relief.
For all that, there are detractors out there who are finding the changes difficult to accept. These changes we are making were campaigned on and should be no surprise to anyone. Our 100-day plan shows we intend to move quickly to get New Zealand back on track.
New Zealanders put their trust in National, Act and NZ First for a more prosperous future and we will not let them down.