- By Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister and MP for Botany
Welcome to 2025!
I hope you and your family enjoyed the Christmas break and had some time over the New Year to relax and refresh.
I was lucky to spend some time relaxing with family and friends, and now I’m ready to get stuck in.
Our main focus in 2025 continues to be rebuilding the economy.
We know that inflation has dropped from 7.3 per cent to 2.2 per cent, interest rates are finally coming down, and wages are growing faster than inflation again.
Our budget last year delivered tax relief to 3.5 million Kiwis, with more money staying in your pocket where it belongs.
This year, my team and I will be travelling the world, working to expand trade opportunities and grow the economy.
Our focus is to double our exports in 10 years.
We can only become a richer and more prosperous nation by expanding our relationships with the world, and we will be working hard to open up new opportunities for Kiwi businesses and exporters.
Another key piece of our economic recovery is through our Fast Track legislation, which became law in the last week of Parliament in 2024.
This marks an important next step in the approval process for projects that will help rebuild the economy, improve energy security, address our infrastructure deficit, and provide jobs and growth across New Zealand.
We’re seeing results in law and order, with ram-raids falling and increased police foot patrols.
We’ve banned gang patches, so that after years of lawlessness, we’re turning the page and helping to make communities safer.
When school starts back up, teachers will be helping our kids read and write using the structured literacy approach, and the new math curriculum will be up and running.
We’ve put the focus back on the basics: reading, writing, and maths.
Our phone ban has also ensured kids aren’t distracted and are learning.
I am proud of what we achieved last year, and my Government is refreshed and ready to keep delivering for New Zealanders in 2025.
