Please Contribute Here to help us Grow!
National will back New Zealanders to get ahead, build a bigger nest egg, and retire with greater financial security and a better quality of life. That’s the principle behind everything we’re doing on KiwiSaver, and there’s more to come.
In the 2025 Budget we lifted the default contribution rate for both employers and employees and extended the Government contribution to 16- and 17-year-olds, recognising that the earlier people start saving, the stronger their position later in life. Late last year we announced that if re-elected, National will gradually lift KiwiSaver contributions to match the 12 per cent Australians enjoy by 2032.
But we want to go further. I announced recently that if re-elected, National will make KiwiSaver compulsory for all New Zealanders, support parents on paid parental leave, ensure older workers don’t lose out, and set our kids up for a more secure future.
Everyone in work will be required to contribute to KiwiSaver from 1 April 2028, with employers and employees each contributing 6 per cent by 2032. That’s a meaningful, gradual increase that gives workers and businesses time to plan and adjust.
To give every child the best possible start, National will automatically enrol every baby born in New Zealand into KiwiSaver at birth and contribute a $1500 Baby Boost payment to kick-start their savings. It’s a simple, practical step that means every young New Zealander begins adult life already building wealth.
We’re also supporting parents to keep building their KiwiSaver while on paid parental leave. Many stops contributing during this time, missing out on the Government’s matching contribution and reducing their long-term savings. National will fix this by providing a Government contribution to a parent’s KiwiSaver while they’re on paid parental leave, even if they aren’t contributing themselves.
To ensure older workers don’t miss out, employers will maintain KiwiSaver contributions for employees over 65 on the same basis as everyone else.
New Zealanders who work hard, save and invest deserve a Government that backs them. With National, they will get that backing as part of our wider plan to fix the basics and build the future.
That same plan extends to energy. A re-elected National Government will introduce the Home Energy Fund to support cheaper, more resilient power by making it easier to invest in solar and other energy upgrades through low-interest, long-term loans secured against a property and repaid through rates.
Solar is one of the most effective ways to reduce power bills. EECA estimates it could save households more than $1,000 a year, yet uptake remains low. The biggest barrier is the high upfront cost, even when long-term savings are clear. The Home Energy Fund removes that barrier, putting solar within reach of ordinary families rather than just those who can pay upfront.
National will also remove planning rules that make it harder for Kiwis to generate their own power at home. Under National’s new Resource Management system, small-scale renewable energy will be largely permitted as of right, making it easier for households and farmers to install solar without getting tangled in red tape.
We want Kiwis to have more choice and greater control over their energy use while strengthening the resilience of our energy system. When more households can generate and store their own electricity, the system becomes more secure and better able to withstand severe weather events and global energy shocks.
Building the future means giving Kiwis more choice, more control and lower power bills. National is delivering this through Electrify NZ, with regulatory reform driving a record pipeline of renewable generation, backed by strategic energy reserves and the prospect of LNG to keep the lights on in dry years.
This is all part of National’s plan to fix the basics and build the future – lowering the cost of living, strengthening New Zealand’s energy resilience, and giving Kiwis more control over their future. -Hon Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister of New Zealand