Coalition agreement means lower cost of life, safer streets, stronger democracy

“The three parties have committed to a policy programme that will make life more affordable, ensure proper consequences for criminals, and restore democracy in areas where it was being eroded by co-governance.

“ACT campaigned for a government of real change. We are proud to be contributing ideas to this government that will solve the urgent problems people elected us to address. Some of the ACT policies that have been adopted in the coalition agreement include the following:

• Deliver savings by reducing non-essential bureaucracy and headcounts in government departments.
• Increase the speed at which mortgage interest deductibility is restored for rental properties with a 60% deduction in 2023/24, 80% in 2024/25, and 100% in 2025/26.
• Tackle red tape by establishing a new Minister and Ministry of Regulation and pass legislation ensuring regulation is based on principles of good law-making.
• Ensure safer streets by restoring Three Strikes, introducing tougher sentences for criminals who attack victims in the workplace, increasing funding for prison capacity and new youth justice beds, and scrapping Labour’s prisoner reduction target.
• Introduce a Treaty Principles Bill based on ACT’s policy and support it to a select committee.
• Restore the right to local referendum on the establishment or use of Māori wards, remove co-governance from the delivery of public services and repeal race-based laws, ensure government contracts are not awarded based on race, and issue a directive to all central government organisations that public services should be prioritised on the basis of need, not race.
• Reintroduce partnership schools and introduce a policy to allow state schools to become partnership schools.
• Reduce the regulatory burden on farmers by ceasing the implementation of Significant Natural Areas, replace the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management to rebalance Te Mana o te Wai to better reflect the interests of all water users, maintain a split-gas approach to methane and carbon dioxide through to 2050 and review the methane science and targets in 2024, improve Farm Environment Plans so they are more cost-effective and pragmatic, and enable farmers and landowners to offset sequestration against their on-farm emissions.
• Fix planning laws by making Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) optional for councils.
• Replace the RMA with new resource management laws premised on the enjoyment of property rights as a guiding principle and introduce financial incentives for councils to enable more housing.
• Encourage more landlords to enter the rental market by allowing 90 day notices to end a periodic tenancy, and return tenants’ notice to 21 days and landlords’ to 42 if the tenant wishes to move or the landlord wishes to sell.
• Give at-risk youth more opportunities to find a safe and loving home by reforming Oranga Tamariki, including removing section 7AA and creating a truly independent monitoring and oversight agency.
• Reform health and safety law and regulations, expand 90-day trials to apply to all businesses, and simplify the personal grievance process.
• Implement sanctions, including electronic money management, for beneficiaries who can work but refuse to take agreed steps to find a job.
• Pass the Constitution (Enabling a 4-Year Term) Amendment Bill through first reading.
• Immediately begin to repeal and replace Part 6 of the Arms Act 1983 relating to clubs and ranges, rewrite the Arms Act 1983 to provide greater protection of public safety and simplify regulatory requirements to improve compliance, transfer responsibility for the Arms Act 1983 to the Ministry of Justice and the Firearms Safety Authority away from Police, and review whether the Firearms Registry is improving public safety.

“The full list of policies can be found in our coalition agreement.

“This is a significant programme of work for the next three years that will bring real change for New Zealand. ACT’s Ministers are ready to hit the ground running and get to work for New Zealanders. Thank you to every Kiwi who trusted ACT with their vote. We will work tirelessly to repay your faith with real solutions and the real change you voted for.

“Over the past five weeks, I have greatly enjoyed the process of bringing together three election competitors as government co-operators. I believe I have built strong relationships with Christopher and Winston that will serve us in good stead. We represent three different parties on behalf of our voters, and always will, but the negotiation process has shown that we can build strength out of those differences. Together, we can take on the considerable challenges the previous government left New Zealand, and win for everyone.”