- By Christopher Luxon, National Party leader and MP for Botany
Last week, I held my State of the Nation speech in Auckland where I outlined the state and conditions of New Zealand and highlighted what issues National is focused on delivering.
What an extraordinary beginning New Zealand has had to 2023, especially the North Island.
I’ve visited places that have been devastated by the floods and by Cyclone Gabrielle and, put plainly, this is a period of great anxiety.
The state of the nation right now doesn’t make for great reading. Interest rates, rents and inflation are damagingly high, and investor, business and consumer confidence are worryingly low.
Core public services are dire. Hospital wait times are at record levels. So is retail crime.
School absenteeism is shocking. These are not records any government wants to claim, but this is New Zealand under Labour.
Globally, the war in Ukraine, rising geo-political tensions and the impacts of climate change create more volatility and uncertainty.
Added to those global events, many Kiwis up and down the country are understandably feeling frustrated and worried about the direction New Zealand is heading.
The impact of the cost-of-living crisis is being felt in households and is the most important issue facing the country right now.
Labour’s mismanagement of the economy means that Kiwis are going backwards.
Whether it’s at the supermarket checkout, buying a school uniform, keeping up with the rent or having to re-fix your mortgage, things are getting harder for Kiwi families.
I wanted to end my State of the Nation speech on a positive note – by announcing a new policy that will help thousands of families who are struggling with the ever-rising cost of living, should National be fortunate enough to win this year’s election.
National’s new FamilyBoost policy is a childcare tax rebate, which will mean that eligible families will receive a 25 per cent rebate on their early childhood education expenses, up to a maximum of $75 every week.
This will help 130,000 families keep up to $3900 more of what they earn each year.
Families with young children are particularly vulnerable right now. The majority of these families need two incomes to keep the household afloat.
But going to work often also means paying for childcare, which in New Zealand is among the most expensive in the developed world.
This is a targeted programme that will be available to families earning up to $180,000, with the full $75 a week rebate available to families earning up to $140,000.
This means that, for example, a teacher and a plumber earning $130,000 between them who are spending $300 a week on childcare would receive a weekly rebate of $75, paid fortnightly by IRD to the parents’ bank account.
This will make a real difference to people’s lives. FamilyBoost will be fully funded by cutting Labour’s wasteful spending on contractors and consultants and redirecting it towards making early childhood education more affordable for lower- and-middle-income families to help make their lives a little easier.
After making this announcement, I was fortunate enough to go to BestStart Botany Road, an early childhood education centre right here in Botany.
I spent an hour chatting to the teachers and children, with one of the kids asking me the most important question – where has my hair gone!
After making this announcement, I have heard from many families around New Zealand that FamilyBoost is going to help them be able to go back to work, pick up an extra shift, or just help cover the ever-growing everyday cost. It is reasons like this I do what I do.
A National Government I lead will be one with a big heart, a big view and a big determination to ensure that all New Zealanders do better and get ahead.
