Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has unveiled his "100-day plan" to push through policy changes following the first Cabinet meeting under his coalition government.
Luxon spoke from the Beehive theatrette for the first time as prime minister, as he released what he described as a "hugely ambitious" list of 49 actions.
Many changes focus on repealing and stopping Labour government-era programmes — including the Clean Car Discount and Fair Pay Agreement legislation.
"People have put their trust in National, ACT and New Zealand First to steer them towards a better, more prosperous future," he said.
Luxon spoke from the Beehive theatrette for the first time as prime minister, as he released what he described as a "hugely ambitious" list of 49 actions.
"New Zealanders voted not only for a change of government, but for a change of policies and a change of approach — and our Coalition Government is ready to deliver that change.
"We will be a government that gets things done for New Zealand and we will start straight away, with a 100-day plan that includes a range of actions we will take to improve the lives of New Zealanders.
"Our government is starting the way we mean to go on — ambitious for New Zealand. With 49 actions to deliver in the next 100 days, this plan is hugely ambitious but we will be working as hard as we can."
'Real change for New Zealand' - ACT
ACT leader David Seymour said the three parties "have committed to an ambitious work programme that will bring real change for New Zealand".
In a statement, Seymour called Luxon's "100-day plan" a "mammoth agenda but ACT's ministers are up for the challenge".
"We've heard from people who are sick of red tape and regulation making it too hard to get on with business, from business owners who find overzealous workplace rules are making it too hard to make a profit, from law-abiding firearms owners who are concerned safe areas like clubs and ranges will be driven out of business, from farmers who are sick of their property rights being trampled over, and from New Zealanders who are sick of their taxes going towards schemes that are not providing a benefit to taxpayers," he said.
"This first 100 days tackles those issues."
He said ACT's ministers "are ready to hit the ground running and get to work for New Zealanders" after campaigning for a "government of real change".
"We are proud to be contributing ideas to this government that will solve the urgent problems people elected us to address."
'Random, visionless, and harmful grab bag of policies' - Greens
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson has called the new government's plan for its first 100 days in power a "random, visionless, and harmful grab bag of policies" which "does not represent our future".
"Now more than ever we need to stand up for Tiriti-centric Aotearoa that works for everyone," she said in a statement.
"This is not a serious government. People deserve a government that is serious about addressing the challenges we face right now.
"Thousands of people are struggling to put food on the table, yet all they are seeing on their televisions and in the papers are a group of politicians messing around with pet projects and petty grievances."
She said the Greens "have stood up to National, ACT, and New Zealand First before — and we are going to do it again".
Davidson also reaffirmed her party's commitment to fight for the needs of New Zealanders.
"Plans to abolish the much-needed Māori Health Authority, remove protections for working people, and roll back climate action will be met with enormous opposition inside and outside of Parliament," she said.
Davidson also pointed to the controversy swirling around the three-party coalition government following its plans to repeal our current smokefree law and NZ First leader Winston Peters' comments about media independence.
"Politics is about more than gimmicky announcements, things politicians say for attention, and it's even about more than just Parliament," she said.
"It is about coming together to change things for the better — and that is what we are here to do."
'Ambitious' list of changes
The list announced today comes after National released its own "100-day action plan" in October during the election campaign.
Unlike that plan, today's announcement encompasses the view of Luxon's coalition government partners — ACT's David Seymour and New Zealand First's Winston Peters.
The 49 prioritised actions announced this afternoon include:
- Repeal the Clean Car Discount scheme by December 31, 2023.
- Ban the use of cell phones in schools.
- Introduce legislation to remove the Auckland Fuel Tax.
- Repeal Fair Pay Agreement legislation.
- Stop "blanket speed limit reductions" and start work on replacing the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2022.
- Stop central government work on the Auckland Light Rail project.
- Start work to improve the quality of regulation.
- Introduce legislation to repeal the Water Services Entities Act 2022, also known as the Three Waters reforms
- Introduce legislation to ban gang patches, stop gang members gathering in public, and stop known gang offenders from communicating with one another.
- Give police greater powers to search gang members for firearms and make gang membership an aggravating factor at sentencing.
- Introduce legislation to disestablish the Māori Health Authority.
- Begin work to repeal the Therapeutics Products Act 2023
- Allow the sale of cold medication containing pseudoephedrine
- Require primary and intermediate schools to teach an hour of reading, writing and maths per day starting in 2024.
- Begin disestablishing Te Pukenga.
- Stop all work on He Puapua.
- Stop work on the Income Insurance Scheme.
- Stop work on Industry Transformation Plans.
- Stop work on the Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme.
- Begin efforts to double renewable energy production, including a National Policy Statement on Renewable Electricity Generation.
- Withdraw central government from Let’s Get Wellington Moving (LGWM).
- Meet with councils and communities to establish regional requirements for recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle and other recent major flooding events.
- Make any additional Orders in Council needed to speed up cyclone and flood recovery efforts.
- Start reducing public sector expenditure, including consultant and contractor expenditure.
- Introduce legislation to narrow the Reserve Bank’s mandate to price stability.
- Cancel fuel tax hikes.
- Begin work on a new Government Policy Statement reflecting the new Roads of National Significance and new public transport priorities.
- Introduce legislation to restore 90-day trial periods for all businesses.
- Begin work on a National Infrastructure Agency.
- Repeal the Spatial Planning and Natural and Built Environment Act and introduce a fast-track consenting regime.
- Begin to cease implementation of new Significant Natural Areas and seek advice on the operation of the areas.
- Take policy decisions to amend the Overseas Investment Act 2005 to make it easier for build-to-rent housing to be developed in New Zealand.
- Begin work to enable more houses to be built, by implementing the National Party's Going for Housing Growth policy and making the Medium Density Residential Standards optional for councils.
- Abolish the previous Labour government’s prisoner reduction target.
- Stop taxpayer funding for section 27 cultural reports.
- Introduce legislation to extend eligibility to offence-based rehabilitation programmes to remand prisoners.
- Begin work to crack down on serious youth offending.
- Enable more virtual participation in court proceedings.
- Begin to repeal and replace Part 6 of the Arms Act 1983 relating to clubs and ranges.
- Improve security for the health workforce in hospital emergency departments.
- Sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Waikato University to progress a third medical school.
- By December 1, lodge a reservation against adopting amendments to World Health Organisation health regulations to allow the Government to consider these against a “national interest test”.
- Appoint an Expert Group to redesign the English and maths curricula for primary school students.
- Begin work on delivering better public services and strengthening democracy.
- Set five major targets for health system, including for wait times and cancer treatment.
- Take first steps to extend free breast cancer screening to those aged up to 74.
- Repeal amendments to the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990 and regulations.
- Establish a priority one category on the social housing waitlist to move families out of emergency housing into permanent homes more quickly.
- Commission an independent review into Kāinga Ora’s financial situation, procurement, and asset management.
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