When we formed Government in 2023, we knew the job of cleaning up the mess and fixing the country would not be an overnight job. It’s been two years of hard work – in Government, from businesses large and small, and from every New Zealander.
Inflation was at a record high, food inflation was staggering, mortgage repayments had skyrocketed, young people hoping to buy their first home couldn’t pay rent and save fast enough to keep up with runaway house prices. Wages had stagnated, taxpayers’ hard-earned money was being wasted on bureaucrats, consultants and ideological projects, and instead of exercising any restraint at all, Labour borrowed more and more money.
Public debt skyrocketed, up $120 billion.
The interest bill alone is now nearly $10 billion a year, which is more than the total cost of Police, Corrections, the Ministry of Justice, Customs and Defence added together. Our attitude – National’s attitude – has been to get stuck in to fix the basics.
Between 2017 and 2023, violent crime rose 30 per cent, gang membership surged 50 per cent, and ram raids quadrupled. I still recall meeting a young boy who slept behind his parents’ dairy, traumatised after a car smashed through the storefront while he slept. His story wasn’t unusual. For many families, crime had become part of daily life.
National has worked relentlessly to change that. Gang patches have been banned in public. We’ve brought back tougher sentences and given Police have more tools to deal with violent crime. The results speak for themselves: 38,000 fewer victims of violent crime, youth offending down 16 per cent, and ram raids down 85 per cent.
I’m a product of the state school system, and I believe every Kiwi kid deserves the same chance to get ahead. But when we took office, more than half of our children weren’t attending school regularly, and 80 per cent of 13-year-olds were behind in maths. Reading and writing weren’t much better.
We promised to teach the basics brilliantly, and we’ve delivered just that. Cell phones are banned in classrooms, and we’ve introduced one hour per day of reading, writing and maths. A new structured literacy and numeracy curriculum is already lifting achievement. New entrant success rates have jumped from 36 to 58 per cent in just two years. That is the start of a generational turnaround, to better set our kids up for success.
Lower inflation, eight consecutive interest rate cuts, and a return of business confidence show that our economy is turning the corner. Someone refixing an average mortgage today is saving around $10,000 a year compared to when we became Government. Manufacturing is expanding, tourism is rebounding, and exports are strengthening.
Fixing the basics is essential, but we are also focused on building the future and tackling New Zealand’s long-term challenges. We’ve increased our exports by $12 billion, and we are pursuing trade deals Labour dismissed as “too hard” – including an FTA with India. We’re boosting productivity through Fast Track consenting, RMA abolition, energy reform, and community-revitalising earthquake rules.
We also want to strengthen New Zealanders’ financial security. If we are re-elected next year, we will gradually rise KiwiSaver contributions to a combined 12 per cent, helping young workers retire with hundreds of thousands more in savings.
New Zealand’s recent years have been tough. But today, crime is falling, we’re rebuilding our education system are improving, inflation is low, and investment is growing. Our best days are ahead of us – more hope, more opportunity, and the chance for every Kiwi family to get ahead. -Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister of New Zealand