- By Christopher Luxon, Leader of the Opposition and MP for Botany
It is the last week of the election campaign, and the National team have been working hard across the country to make sure New Zealanders know exactly what a National government will deliver for them.
New Zealanders have waited six long years for a Government that focuses on what matters to them, and gets things done.
If National can form a government after the election, we won’t wait another day to get going on delivering our broad and deep policy agenda to get New Zealand back on track.
Last week I announced our 100 Day Action Plan, which has a focus on rebuilding the economy, delivering tax relief, restoring law and order, and delivering better health, education, housing and infrastructure.
Some of the actions we will take in our first 100 days are removing the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax – which adds 11.5 cents per litre of petrol for Aucklanders – extend free breast cancer screening for women aged up to 74 years, cancel Labour’s planned fuel tax hikes which will add even more pain at the pump for Kiwis, repeal the Ute Tax, instruct public sector chief executives to start identifying back-office savings and report their spending on consultants, introduce a fast-track consenting regime and establish a Priority One category on the social housing waitlist to more quickly move families out of emergency housing and into permanent homes.
All we need to get on with the job is a mandate from New Zealanders with a strong party vote for National at the election.
As I’ve been going around the country, what is clear is that Kiwis feel we’re heading in the wrong direction and are desperate for a change of Government.
In the last week there has been a lot of interest in National’s Back Pocket Tax Relief plan, which aims to increase the after-tax pay for the squeezed middle who are being slammed with the rising prices but are receiving no relief from the Government.
These are New Zealanders who work hard, sometimes juggling multiple jobs and family responsibilities, but inflation and high tax rates are eating away their incomes.
More than 250,000 Kiwis have already flocked to the National website to our tax calculator to find out how much they will receive under National’s plan.
National will give hard working New Zealanders tax relief.
National’s Back Pocket Boost tax relief plan will increase after-tax pay for the squeezed middle, making a family with young kids up to $250 a fortnight better off, and a child-free median income worker up to $50 a fortnight better off.
Tax relief will be delivered through a combination of adjustments to tax brackets, increases in tax credits for those on modest incomes, tax rebates for childcare costs and increases to Working for Families payments.
National’s FamilyBoost childcare tax credit will help around 130,000 New Zealand families with young children get a tax rebate of up to $150 per fortnight.
Our plan is carefully targeted to ensure that those who will benefit the most are working New Zealanders.
It’s about time they got some relief from Labour’s cost-of-living crisis and National will deliver that to them.
This election is going to be close. It is all about the economy and which party can rebuild it after six years of decline and Kiwis going backwards under Labour.
National will rebuild the economy, end the cost-of-living crisis, lift wages and deliver better public services for all New Zealanders.
Lastly, I want to thank everyone in Botany for your support over the last three years and for your ongoing support during this election.
This is without doubt the best electorate in the country. I grew up in this area and I hope I continue to serve you as your local MP for another three years.
