HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Sixth National Government is a
coalition government A coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate to form a government. The usual reason for such an arrangement is that no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election, an atypical outcome in ...
comprising the National Party,
ACT Party ACT New Zealand, known simply as ACT (), is a Right-wing politics, right-wing, Classical liberalism, classical-liberal List of political parties in New Zealand, political party in New Zealand. According to former party leader Rodney Hide, ACT's ...
and
New Zealand First New Zealand First ( mi, Aotearoa Tuatahi), commonly abbreviated to NZ First, is a nationalist and populist political party in New Zealand. The party formed in July 1993 following the resignation on 19 March 1993 of its leader and founder, Winst ...
that has governed New Zealand since November 2023. The government is headed by
Christopher Luxon Christopher Mark Luxon (born 19 July 1970) is a New Zealand politician and former business executive who is currently serving as leader of the New Zealand National Party and the Leader of the Opposition. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP ...
, the National Party leader and
prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
. Following the 2023 general election on 14 October 2023, coalition negotiations between the three parties ended on 24 November, and the new government was sworn into office by the
Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
on 27 November. The coalition government has agreed to a select committee with the possibility of amending the
Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi ( mi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is a document of central importance to the history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national mythos of New Zealand. It has played a major role in the treatment of the M ...
legislation, affirm local referendums on Māori wards, and prioritise English over te reo Māori in Government departments. On broader issues, the government's plan includes restoring interest deductibility for rental properties, changes in housing policies, infrastructure investment, conservative law and justice reforms, and tax cuts.


Background


2023 general election

In the 2023 general election held on 14 October, the National Party defeated the incumbent Labour Party, winning 48 seats and 38.1% of the popular vote. Labour won 27% of the popular with its share of parliamentary seats dropping from 64 to 34.
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
and Labour leader
Chris Hipkins Christopher John Hipkins (born 5 September 1978) is a New Zealand Labour Party politician and a member of the Sixth Labour Government's Cabinet as Minister of Education, Minister of Police, Minister for the Public Service and Leader of the ...
conceded the election and congratulated National Party leader
Christopher Luxon Christopher Mark Luxon (born 19 July 1970) is a New Zealand politician and former business executive who is currently serving as leader of the New Zealand National Party and the Leader of the Opposition. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP ...
.


Coalition negotiations

Following the 2023 general election, National entered into coalition negotiations with both the
libertarian Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...
ACT New Zealand ACT New Zealand, known simply as ACT (), is a right-wing, classical-liberal political party in New Zealand. According to former party leader Rodney Hide, ACT's values are "individual freedom, personal responsibility, doing the best for our natur ...
and
populist Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...
New Zealand First New Zealand First ( mi, Aotearoa Tuatahi), commonly abbreviated to NZ First, is a nationalist and populist political party in New Zealand. The party formed in July 1993 following the resignation on 19 March 1993 of its leader and founder, Winst ...
parties. Luxon stated that he would be conducting these negotiations privately and would not confirm how his stance on policies such as ACT's referendum on co-governance.
University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...
law professor Andrew Geddis speculated that National's coalition talks with ACT would be influenced by NZ First leader
Winston Peters Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician serving as the leader of New Zealand First since its foundation in 1993. Peters served as the 13th deputy prime minister of New Zealand from 1996 to 1998 and 2017 to 2020 ...
' demands and history of playing a "kingmaker" role in previous elections. Peters had also publicly criticised several National and ACT policies during the 2023 election campaign including National's proposal to ease the ban on foreign home purchases, tax cuts, agricultural emissions pricing, proposal to raise the retirement age from 65 to 67, and ACT's proposal to slash government expenditure and public service jobs. Coalition talks between the three parties could also be influenced by close results in several marginal seats including
Te Atatū Te Atatū (from the Māori : "the dawn") is the name of two adjacent suburbs in West Auckland, New Zealand: ''Te Atatū Peninsula'' and ''Te Atatū South''. They are located next to each other some 10 kilometres to the west of the Auckland city ...
,
Banks Peninsula Banks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an area of approximately and encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves. The South Island's largest cit ...
,
Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
,
Tāmaki Makaurau Tāmaki Makaurau is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. It was first formed for the . The electorate covers the Auckland area and was first held by Labour ...
, and
Te Tai Tokerau Te Tai Tokerau () is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate that was created out of the Northern Maori electorate ahead of the first Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) election in 1996. It was held first by Tau Henare representing New Zea ...
.
Nicola Willis Nicola Valentine Willis (born 7 March 1981) is Deputy Leader of the National Party and Minister of Finance in a Coalition Government with ACT and New Zealand First. Willis entered the New Zealand Parliament in 2018, when she inherited Steve ...
is expected to be Finance Minister. Following the release of final results on 3 November, National's parliamentary representation dropped from 50 to 48 seats. Since National and ACT did not meet the 62 seat threshold needed to form a government, a prospective National-led government would need New Zealand First to form the next government. On 8 November, ACT and NZ First made first contact in their coalition talks with National during a meeting between ACT's chief of staff Andrew Ketels and NZ First's chief of staff
Darroch Ball Darroch Leicester Ball (born 1982) is a New Zealand politician who was elected to the New Zealand parliament at the 2014 general election as a representative of New Zealand First. He was the party's interim president from December 2020 to July ...
. This introductory meeting was meant "to establish a line of communication" between the two parties. In addition, Luxon, Peters alongside senior colleagues and chiefs of staff from both National and NZ First held talks in Wellington that same week. Peters' negotiation team included Ball and fellow NZ First MP
Shane Jones Shane Geoffrey Jones (born 3 September 1959) is a New Zealand politician. He served as a New Zealand First list MP from 2017 to 2020 and was previously a Labour list MP from 2005 to 2014. Jones was a cabinet minister in the Fifth Labour Gover ...
while National's negotiation team included
Chris Bishop Christopher Bishop (born 4 September 1983) is a New Zealand National Party politician who was first elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives in 2014 as a list MP. Bishop won the Hutt South electorate in 2017 but lost the seat in 20 ...
. Following the release of final results, Seymour had attempted to contact Peters via text message but the NZ First leader had dismissed it as a scam. On 9 November, Seymour expressed hope that coalition negotiations and government formation would be completed before an upcoming
APEC The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
meeting in mid-November 2023. That same day, Peters criticised a law change by the previous Labour Government allowing voters to register on election day for delaying the
Electoral Commission An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
's publication of final results by one week. Peters had previously supported the law change in 2020. The ACT party has proposed a referendum on the
principles of the Treaty of Waitangi The Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi (in Māori: ''ngā mātāpono o te tiriti''), in New Zealand law and politics, are a set of principles derived from, and interpreting, the Treaty of Waitangi. They are partly an attempt to reconcile the d ...
, something that gained media attention during the
2023 New Zealand general election The 2023 New Zealand general election to determine the composition of the 54th Parliament of New Zealand is planned to be held on 14 October 2023, after the currently elected 53rd Parliament is dissolved or expires. Voters will elect 120 memb ...
campaign. The referendum is a negotiation issue for the incoming government. However the referendum idea drew criticism from
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
co-leader James Shaw, Labour MP Willie Jackson, and former Prime Minister and National MP
Jim Bolger James Brendan Bolger ( ; born 31 May 1935) is a New Zealand retired politician of the National Party who was the 35th prime minister of New Zealand, serving from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was born to an Irish immigrant family in Ōpunake, Taran ...
, who expressed concerns that it would antagonise
Māori people The Māori (, ) are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand (). Māori originated with settlers from East Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of canoe voyages between roughly 1320 and 1350. Over several ce ...
and provoke violence. In addition, NZ First and ACT have both expressed disagreement with National's proposed 15% tax on foreign house buyers, a key component of its tax policy which is estimated to raise NZ$740 million a year. On 13 November, Luxon said it was unlikely he would go to the 2023 APEC summit in the United States due to prioritising a government coalition. Instead, the outgoing Trade Minister
Damien O'Connor Damien Peter O'Connor (born 16 January 1958) is a New Zealand Labour Party politician who currently serves as Minister of Agriculture, Minister for Biosecurity, Minister for Trade and Export Growth, Minister for Land Information and Minister ...
represented New Zealand at the 2023 APEC summit. On 15 November, Luxon, Seymour and Peters met at Pullman Hotel's boardroom in Auckland. It was the first time the three leaders had met in person since the election. On 20 November, Luxon confirmed that National had reached an agreement on policy positions with ACT and New Zealand First. In response to Luxon's announcement, Peters stated that it was an "assumption" to state that a policy agreement had been reached. In addition, Seymour said "that Luxon had maybe had too many
Weet-Bix Weet-Bix is a whole-grain wheat breakfast cereal created and manufactured in Australia and New Zealand by the Sanitarium Health Food Company, and in South Africa by Bokomo. History Weet-Bix was developed by Bennison Osborne in Sydney, Aust ...
that day." Seymour also opined that ACT as the second largest party in the coalition should hold the position of Deputy Prime Minister and have more ministerial portfolios than NZ First. That same day, the three parties entered into talks about allocating cabinet ministerial positions. On 21 November, Luxon met with Seymour to discuss ministerial portfolios.


Coalition agreement

Coalition negotiations between the three parties concluded on the afternoon of 23 November. That same day Luxon, Seymour and Peters met in Wellington to finalise the agreement between National, ACT, and NZ First. Later that night, Luxon informed
Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
Cindy Kiro Dame Alcyion Cynthia Kiro (; Simpson; born 1958) is a New Zealand public health academic, administrator, and advocate, who has served as the 22nd governor-general of New Zealand since 21 October 2021. Kiro is the first Māori woman, the third ...
that he had the numbers to form the incoming government. On the morning of 24 November, the leaders of the three parties signed the coalition agreement, which was subsequently released to the public. Seymour welcomed the coalition deal and told ''
The New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation of all newspapers ...
'' that the Government would announce a 100-day plan that could include repealing some legislation passed by the outgoing Labour government. The terms of National's two coalition agreements with NZ First and ACT were unveiled on 24 November 2023. As part of National's agreement with NZ First, National would no longer proceed with its proposed foreign buyer tax but would instead fund tax cuts via reprioritisation and other forms of revenue gathering. The Government would also adopt ACT's policies of restoring interest deductibility for rental properties and pet bonds. In addition to adopting National's youth crime and gang policies, the new Government would adopt ACT's policies of rewriting firearms legislation and NZ First's policy of training 500 new Police officers. The new Government would also scrap the previous Labour Government's fair pay agreements, proposed hate speech legislation, co-governance policies, Auckland light rail,
Three Waters reform programme The Water Services Reform Programme (formerly known as Three Waters) is a public infrastructure restructuring programme launched by the Sixth Labour Government to centralise the management of water supply and sanitation in New Zealand. It orig ...
, and
Māori Health Authority Te Aka Whai Ora – the Māori Health Authority (MHA) is an independent New Zealand government statutory entity tasked with managing Māori people, Māori health policies, services, and outcomes. The Health Authority will work alongside the Minis ...
. The Government would also establish a new regulatory agency answerable to Minister for Regulation Seymour that would review the quality of new and existing legislation. The Government would also adopt NZ First's policy of establishing $1.2 billon Regional Infrastructure Fund. In addition, fees-free tertiary education would be shifted from the first to last year of tertiary study. While the new Government would not support Act's proposed referendum on the
principles of the Treaty of Waitangi The Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi (in Māori: ''ngā mātāpono o te tiriti''), in New Zealand law and politics, are a set of principles derived from, and interpreting, the Treaty of Waitangi. They are partly an attempt to reconcile the d ...
, the Government would introduce a Treaty Principles Act and amend exiting
Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi ( mi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is a document of central importance to the history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national mythos of New Zealand. It has played a major role in the treatment of the M ...
legislation to focus on the "original intent of the legislation." The Government also adopted NZ First's policy of legislating the
English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...
as an
official language An official language is a language given supreme status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically the term "official language" does not refer to the language used by a people or country, but by its government (e.g. judiciary, ...
of
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
and requiring all government departments to use English in their communications and keep their primary name in English, except for those dealing with
Māori people The Māori (, ) are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand (). Māori originated with settlers from East Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of canoe voyages between roughly 1320 and 1350. Over several ce ...
. The Government also adopted NZ First's policy of halting all work related to the
He Puapua He Puapua ('A Break') is a 2019 report commissioned by the New Zealand Government to inquire into and report on appropriate measures to achieve the goals set out by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The report was ...
report and confirming that the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP or DOTROIP) is a legally non-binding resolution passed by the United Nations in 2007. It delineates and defines the individual and collective rights of Indigenous peoples, including th ...
has no legal basis in New Zealand law. The Government would also restore the right to local referendum on the establishment or ongoing use of Māori wards. In addition, the new Government would adopt most of National's fiscal, taxation, 100-day and 100-point economic plans, with exceptions specified in the agreements with ACT and NZ First. As part of National's agreement with New Zealand First, the Government agreed to end all remaining COVID-19 vaccine mandates and to hold an independent inquiry into how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled in New Zealand. This proposed independent inquiry would be conducted publicly by local and international experts and is expected to examine the use of multiple lockdowns, vaccine procurement and efficacy, social and economic impacts on both national and regional levels, and whether decisions and actions taken by the Government were justified. While the outgoing Labour Government had commissioned a
Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned The Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned (''Te Tira Ārai Urutā'') is a Royal Commission of Inquiry appointed by the New Zealand Government to look at its official response to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand. Its focus i ...
, Peters claimed the inquiry's terms of reference were "too limited" during election campaigning. Luxon also stated that the Government supported broadening the inquiry's terms of reference.


History


2023

The new government was formally sworn into office on 27 November 2023. On 29 November, the Government announced its 100-day plan which would focus on implementing 49 economic, law and order, and public service policies. Notable economic policies have included introducing legislation to limit the
Reserve Bank of New Zealand The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ, mi, Te Pūtea Matua) is the central bank of New Zealand. It was established in 1934 and is constituted under the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 1989. The governor of the Reserve Bank is responsible for N ...
's mandate to combating inflation, cancelling various fuel taxes including the
Auckland Regional Fuel Tax Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
, repealing the Clean Car discount programme, reintroducing 90-day trials periods for all businesses, halting the
Lake Onslow Lake Onslow is a man-made lake east of Roxburgh and south of Alexandra in the Otago region of New Zealand. It lies above sea level. It was formed in 1890 by the damming of the Teviot River and Dismal Swamp, with a new dam built in 1982 that ra ...
hydraulic scheme, and repealing the previous Labour Government's Water Services Entities Act 2022, Spatial Planning Act 2023 and
Natural and Built Environment Act 2023 The Natural and Built Environment Act 2023 (NBA), now repealed, was one of the three laws which will replace New Zealand's Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). The NBA aimed to promote the protection and enhancement of the natural and built envir ...
. Notable law and order policies have included banning gang patches, preventing gang members from gathering in public and communicating with each other, ending taxpayer funding for Section 27 cultural reports, and extending rehabilitation programmes to remand prisoners. Notable public service policies have included beginning work on establishing a third medical school at the
University of Waikato The University of Waikato ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato), is a Public university, public research university in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, New Zealand established in 1964. An additional campus is located in Tauranga. The university perfo ...
, banning cellphones in schools, testing new
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
(WHO) regulations against a "national interest" test, and disestablishing Te Pukenga and the
Māori Health Authority Te Aka Whai Ora – the Māori Health Authority (MHA) is an independent New Zealand government statutory entity tasked with managing Māori people, Māori health policies, services, and outcomes. The Health Authority will work alongside the Minis ...
. On 7 December, Foreign Minister Winston Peters successfully moved a motion calling for a ceasefire in the 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict. The motion also condemned Hamas' terror attack on 7 October 2023, called for the release of all hostages, recognised Israel's right to defend itself in accordance with international law, and called for civilians to be protected from armed conflict. The government's motion also incorporated an amendment by Labour MP
Phil Twyford Philip Stoner Twyford (born 4 May 1963) is a politician from New Zealand and a member of the Labour Party. He has been a Member of Parliament since 2008. He is the Labour Party MP for Te Atatū. Early years Twyford was born in 1963 in Auckland ...
calling for the establishment of a
State of Palestine Palestine ( ar, فلسطين, Filasṭīn), Legal status of the State of Palestine, officially the State of Palestine ( ar, دولة فلسطين, Dawlat Filasṭīn, label=none), is a state (polity), state located in Western Asia. Officiall ...
in accordance with a
two-state solution The two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict envisions an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel, west of the Jordan River. The boundary between the two states is still subject to dispute and negotiation ...
. Peter's motion was criticised as being insufficient by Labour MP
Damien O'Connor Damien Peter O'Connor (born 16 January 1958) is a New Zealand Labour Party politician who currently serves as Minister of Agriculture, Minister for Biosecurity, Minister for Trade and Export Growth, Minister for Land Information and Minister ...
and
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
MP
Golriz Ghahraman Golriz Ghahraman ( fa, گلریز قهرمان; born 1981) is an Iranian-born New Zealand politician, member of Parliament, and author. The former United Nations lawyer was a child asylum seeker, and became the first refugee elected to New Zea ...
. On 8 December,
Minister of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government agen ...
Simeon Brown Simeon Peter Brown (born 8 April 1991) is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the National Party. Political career In his youth, Brown joined his local residents' association, the Clendon Resid ...
ordered Waka Kotahi (the New Zealand Transport Agency) to give primacy to its English name over its Māori name. That same day, Tertiary Education Minister
Penny Simmonds Penelope Elsie Simmonds is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the National Party. She previously served as the chief executive of the Southern Institute of Technology. Early life and career Si ...
confirmed that the mega polytechnic
Te Pūkenga Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology is the largest vocational education provider in New Zealand. In February 2019, the Government announced that the country's sixteen Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) wou ...
(New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology) would be dissolved and replaced by eight to ten institutions. That same day, Luxon announced during an official visit to
Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay ( mi, Te Matau-a-Māui) is a local government region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region's name derives from Hawke Bay, which was named by Captain James Cook in honour of Admiral Edward Hawke. The region is ...
that the Government would pause work on restoring the Napier-
Wairoa Wairoa is a town and territorial authority district in New Zealand's North Island. The town is the northernmost in the Hawke's Bay region, and is located on the northern shore of Hawke Bay at the mouth of the Wairoa River and to the west of ...
railway line and focus on repairing State Highway 2. On 11 December, Education Minister
Erica Stanford Erica Louise Stanford (née Poppelbaum; born 1978) is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the National Party. Personal life Stanford lives in Okura in the Auckland region and is the daughter o ...
announced that the Government would be delaying the previous Labour Government's plans to make online mathematics and literacy tests a prerequisite for
National Certificate of Educational Achievement The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is the official secondary-school qualification in New Zealand. Phased in between 2002 and 2004, it replaced three older secondary-school qualifications. The New Zealand Qualifications Au ...
(NCEA) qualifications in 2026. Trial runs of the tests had recorded failure rates of more than 40% particularly among
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
, Pasifika students, and schools in poorer communities. Stanford said that the students had been let down by the education curriculum and that it would be unfair to make the tests the only way to achieve NCEA qualifications. On 13 December, the Government passed its first new law reversing the previous Labour Government's law change in 2018 giving the
Reserve Bank of New Zealand The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ, mi, Te Pūtea Matua) is the central bank of New Zealand. It was established in 1934 and is constituted under the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 1989. The governor of the Reserve Bank is responsible for N ...
the dual mandate of managing inflation and supporting maximum sustainable employment. The Government's law change ordered the Reserve Bank to focus solely on managing inflation. The Bill was introduced by
Finance Minister A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...
Nicola Willis Nicola Valentine Willis (born 7 March 1981) is Deputy Leader of the National Party and Minister of Finance in a Coalition Government with ACT and New Zealand First. Willis entered the New Zealand Parliament in 2018, when she inherited Steve ...
. Labour's finance spokesperson
Grant Robertson Grant Murray Robertson (born 30 October 1971) is a New Zealand politician and member of the Labour Party who has served as the 19th deputy prime minister of New Zealand since 2020 and the minister of Finance since 2017. He has served as Membe ...
criticised the National coalition government for reversing his party's financial reforms. That same day, Willis declined
KiwiRail KiwiRail Holdings Limited is a New Zealand state-owned enterprise responsible for rail operations in New Zealand, and operates inter-island ferries. Trading as KiwiRail and headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, KiwiRail is the largest rail ...
's request for an additional NZ$1.47 billion to replace its ageing
Interislander Interislander is a road and rail ferry service across New Zealand's Cook Strait, between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island. It is owned and operated by state-owned rail operator KiwiRail. Three roll-on roll-off (R ...
ferry fleet. The Government also cancelled the previous Labour Government's plans to buy new replacement ferries, with Willis stating that the Government would be looking at cheaper alternatives. On 14 December, the Government passed legislation repealing the previous Labour Government's Fair Pay Agreements legislation under urgency. While National, ACT and NZ First supported the bill, it was opposed by the Labour, Green, and
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
parties. Several unions including Stand Up, the
New Zealand Nurses Organisation The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is New Zealand's largest trade union and professional organisation that represents the nursing profession, midwives and caregivers. It is one of the oldest organisations of this type in the world, traci ...
,
Post Primary Teachers' Association The New Zealand Post-Primary Teachers' Association Incorporated (PPTA) is a trade union in New Zealand and professional association. It represents about 20,000 teachers employed in state and integrated secondary schools, area schools, technology ...
and
Unite Union Unite Union (Unite) is a trade union in New Zealand. It represents a number of workers across various industries, and was the sponsor of thSupersizemypay.comcampaign directed towards improving working conditions for fast food workers in the cou ...
had also opposed the National-led government's plans to repeal fair pay agreements, staging protests outside the electorate office of ACT leader Seymour on 12 December. By contrast, Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young welcomed the repeal of Fair Pay Agreements, claiming they were unnecessary and complicated employment laws. On 14 December, the Government passed the
Land Transport (Clean Vehicle Discount Scheme Repeal) Amendment Act 2023 The Land Transport (Clean Vehicle Discount Scheme Repeal) Amendment Act 2023 is a New Zealand Act of Parliament that amends various legislation to end the Ministry of Transport (New Zealand)#Clean Car Discount, Clean Car Discount by 31 December ...
under urgency. This bill repealed the previous Labour Government's Clean Car Discount, which encouraged consumers to buy electrical and hybrid vehicles by imposing a tax on high-emissions vehicles such as utes. While the governing National, ACT and NZ First parties supported the Bill, it was opposed by the opposition Labour, Green and Māori parties. On 16 December Transport Minister Brown instructed the New Zealand Transport Agency to halt the Transport Choices Programme, which involved funding various local council projects to promote cycling, walking and public transportation. The Government's transport policy changes were criticised by Cycling Action Network spokesperson Patrick Morgan and
Mayor of New Plymouth The Mayor of New Plymouth is the head of municipal government of New Plymouth District, New Zealand. Since the 2022 local elections, the mayor is elected directly using the single transferable vote electoral system; prior to that, first-past-the-p ...
Neil Holdom but were supported welcomed by New Plymouth councillor Murray Cheong. Notable projects affected by the Government's transportation policy change included the " Let's Get Wellington Moving" programme. Following negotiations with the
Wellington City Council Wellington City Council is a territorial authority in New Zealand, governing the country's capital city Wellington, and ''de facto'' second-largest city (if the commonly considered parts of Wellington, the Upper Hutt, Porirua, Lower Hutt and ...
(WCC) and the
Greater Wellington Regional Council Wellington Regional Council, branded as Greater Wellington Regional Council, is the regional council overseeing the Wellington Region of New Zealand's lower North Island. It is responsible for public transport under the brand Metlink, environ ...
, the three parties reached an agreement in which the Government would fund the
Basin Reserve The Basin Reserve (commonly known as "The Basin") is a cricket ground in Wellington, New Zealand. It has been used for Test matches, and is the main home ground for the Wellington Firebirds first-class team. The Basin Reserve is the only cricke ...
upgrade while the WCC would take over the Golden Mile project. On 20 December, the Government passed legislation repealing the Natural and Built Environment Act and the Spatial Planning Act as part of its plans to reform the
Resource Management Act The Resource Management Act (RMA) passed in 1991 in New Zealand is a significant, and at times, controversial Act of Parliament. The RMA promotes the sustainable management of natural and physical resources such as land, air and water. New Zea ...
framework. That same day, Finance Minister Willis released the Government's mini-budget, which delivered NZ$7.47 billion in operational savings. On 21 December, the Government passed legislation reinstating 90-day trials for all employers, a key campaign promise by National and Act. While the bill was supported by National, ACT, and NZ First, it was opposed by Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister
Brooke van Velden Brooke Olivia van Velden (born 14 October 1992) is a New Zealand politician who has been a Member of Parliament since the 2020 general election for ACT New Zealand. She has been the party's deputy leader since June 2020. Early life and career ...
argued the legislation would provide employers and employees with certainty and allow the removal of difficult employees. By contrast, Labour's Workplace Relations and Safety spokesperson Camilla Belich criticised the repeal as an attack on working people. That same day, Reti announced that the Government would invest NZ$50 million over the two next years to help Māori health providers boost immunisation rates within the Māori community.


Election results

The following table shows the total party votes and seats in Parliament won by National, plus any parties in coalition with the National-led government.


Significant policies and initiatives


Agriculture

*Easing restrictions on gas and methane emissions. *Reverse the ban on live animal exports. *Introduce legislation easing restrictions on genetic engineering. *Reforming the membership, mandate and function of the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee. *Halting the review of the
New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) is an all-gases partial-coverage uncapped domestic emissions trading scheme that features price floors, forestry offsetting, free allocation and auctioning of emissions units. The NZ ETS was fir ...
. *Incentivising emissions reduction mitigations such as low methane genetics and animal feed. *Encouraging government agencies to use woollen fibres at government buildings.


Democracy

*Introducing legislation to extend the Parliamentary term from three years to four years.


Education

*Shifting the "Fees Free Scheme" from the first year to final year of tertiary study. *Eliminating all references to gender, sexuality and "relationship-based education guidelines" in educational curriculums. *Requiring schools to institute one hour of reading, writing, and mathematics each day. *Reintroducing
charter schools A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...
and allowing state schools to convert to charter schools. *Restore balance to the school history curriculum. *Combating truancy through enforcement action, data collection, and publishing school attendance data. *Improve the cost-effectiveness of school lunch programmes.


Economy

*Increase spending on wealth creation and infrastructure development. *Reducing Core Crown expenditure as a proportion of the overall economy. *Strengthening the powers of the Grocery Commissioner and promoting competition in the
supermarket A supermarket is a self-service Retail#Types of outlets, shop offering a wide variety of food, Drink, beverages and Household goods, household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earli ...
sector. *Expanding the Inland Revenue Department's tax audit capacity. *Prioritising fair trade agreements with export markets including India.


Employment and social services

*Repeal the Fair Pay Agreement regime by Christmas 2023. *Expand 90-day trials to include all businesses. *Commit to moderate increases in the minimum wage each year. *Implementing sanctions against beneficiaries who can work but refuse to find work including electronic money management. *Strengthening obligations on Jobseeker beneficiaries to find work including sanctions. *Restricting the number of doctors who can issue medical certificates for health and disability limits.


Environment

*Repealing the previous Government's ban on offshore gas and oil exploration. *Introducing new resource management legislation to emphasise property rights.


Firearms

*Rewriting the
Arms Act 1983 In New Zealand, the Arms Act 1983 is the primary statute controlling the possession and use of firearms and air guns. Basic principles of the Act The basic premise of the New Zealand arms control regime is the licensing of individuals as bei ...
. *Transferring the firearms regulator to a different agency. *Reviewing the national Firearms Registry.


Fiscal

*Public sector organisations will be given "expenditure reduction targets" including reducing "non-essential" back office functions. *Assessing government expenditure against the criteria of public goods, social insurance, regulating market failure and policy choice.


Foreign

*Ensure a "National Interest Test" is undertaken before New Zealand accepts any agreements from the UN and
WHO Who or WHO may refer to: * Who (pronoun), an interrogative or relative pronoun * Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism * World Health Organization Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Who, a creature in the Dr. Seuss book ''Horton Hear ...
that limit national decision-making and reconfirm that New Zealand’s domestic law holds primacy over any international agreements, and by 1 December 2023 reserve against proposed amendments to WHO health regulations. *Recognising Israel's right to self-defence in the 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict. *Supporting a
two-state solution The two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict envisions an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel, west of the Jordan River. The boundary between the two states is still subject to dispute and negotiation ...
to the Israel-Palestine conflict. *Condemning Hamas for initiating the 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict and rejecting Hamas' role in any future governance of the
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
.


Health

*Disestablish the
Te Aka Whai Ora Te Aka Whai Ora ( en, Māori Health Authority (MHA)) is an independent New Zealand government statutory entity tasked with managing Māori health policies, services, and outcomes. The agency is one of four national bodies that oversee New Zealand ...
(Māori Health Authority). *Repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022. *Repeal the Therapeutic Products Act 2023. *Review the
University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...
's
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
and
Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
Admission Scheme and
University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...
equivalent. *Allowing the sale of cold medication containing
pseudoephedrine Pseudoephedrine (PSE) is a sympathomimetic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine chemical classes. It may be used as a nasal/sinus decongestant, as a stimulant, or as a wakefulness-promoting agent in higher doses. It was first characteri ...
. *End all remaining COVID-19 vaccine mandates. *Establish an independent public inquiry into the handling of the
COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand The COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand is part of the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first case of the disease in New Zealand was reported on 28 February 2 ...
.


Housing and tenancy

*Restoring interest deductibility for rental properties. *Allowing local governments to opt out of the previous government's medium density residential standards. *Restoring no-cause evictions with a 90-day notice. *Returning tenant's notice period to move back to 21 days. *Returning landlord's notice period to sell property back to 42 days. *Introduce pet bonds for tenants.


Immigration

*Raise the cap on the number of workers allowed under the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme. *Introduce a five-year, renewable parental category visa, conditional on covering health costs. *Remove median wage requirements from Skilled Migrant Category visas. *Make it easier for the family members of visa holders to immigrate to New Zealand. *Improve the Accredited Employer Work Visa scheme to ensure that NZ is attracting migrants and skills needed. *Toughening
Immigration New Zealand Immigration New Zealand ( mi, Te Ratonga Manene; INZ), formerly the New Zealand Immigration Service (NZIS), is the agency within the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) that is responsible for border control, issu ...
's risk management and verification process.


Infrastructure, energy and natural resources

*Establishing a National Infrastructure Agency to coordinate government funding and private investment to boost infrastructural development. *Establishing a NZ$1.2 billon Regional Infrastructure Fund. *Prioritise infrastruture needed to support New Zealand's heavy industry. *Progressing a business case to establish a
dry dock A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...
at
Marsden Point Marsden Point is a broad, flat peninsula that is the southern head of the Whangārei Harbour entrance on the east coast of Northland, New Zealand, southeast of the city of Whangārei. It is the location of Marsden Point Oil Refinery and the No ...
. *Repealing the
Natural and Built Environment Act 2023 The Natural and Built Environment Act 2023 (NBA), now repealed, was one of the three laws which will replace New Zealand's Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). The NBA aimed to promote the protection and enhancement of the natural and built envir ...
and Spatial Planning Act 2023 by Christmas 2023. *Scrap the
Kāinga Ora Kāinga Ora, officially Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, is a Crown agency that provides rental housing for New Zealanders in need. It has Crown entity status under the Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities Act 2019. On 1 October 2019 Kā ...
"Sustaining Tenancies Framework" and taking action against state housing tenants engaging in "anti-social behaviour." *Reverse speed limit reductions where it is safe to do so. *Amending the
Resource Management Act 1991 The Resource Management Act (RMA) passed in 1991 in New Zealand is a significant, and at times, controversial Act of Parliament. The RMA promotes the sustainable management of natural and physical resources such as land, air and water. New Zea ...
to boost farming, housing, and other economic activities. *Ensure that climate change policies do not affect energy security.


Justice and Law

*Abolishing concurrent sentencing when an offence is committed on parole, on bail or whilst in custody. *Requiring prisoners to work. *Equipping Corrections officers with body cameras. *Introducing legislation dealing with " coward punching". * Reintroducing three strikes. *Removing prisoner reduction targets. *Training 500 new police officers within two years. *Increase the number of Youth Aid officers. *Boosting funding for community policing including
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
and Pasifika Wardens, Community Patrol New Zealand, and Neighbourhood Watch. *Protect
freedom of speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogni ...
by ruling out the introduction of hate speech legislation and stop the Law Commission’s work on hate speech legislation. *Boosting funding to the Department of Correction to raise staffing levels. *Amending the
Sentencing Act 2002 In law, a sentence is the punishment for a crime ordered by a trial court after conviction in a criminal procedure, normally at the conclusion of a trial. A sentence may consist of imprisonment, a fine, or other sanctions. Sentences for mult ...
and other legislation to ensure tougher consequences for criminals and to emphasise victims' rights. *Introducing legislation to make it a specific offence to assault Police and other first responders. *Boosting rehabilitation programmes for prisoners including driving licenses. *Combating youth crime including consideration of a Youth Justice Demerit Point system. *Toughen legislation against fleeing drivers.


Māori issues and the Treaty of Waitangi

*Introducing the Treaty Principles Bill and support it to a Select Committee as soon as practicable. *Enshrining Treaty Principles legislation into law. *Amending Treaty of Waitangi legislation to "refocus the scope, purpose, and nature of its inquiries back to the original intent of that legislation." *Removing all mentions of Treaty principles with "specific words relating to the relevance and application of the Treaty, or repealing the references." *Halting all work related to the
He Puapua He Puapua ('A Break') is a 2019 report commissioned by the New Zealand Government to inquire into and report on appropriate measures to achieve the goals set out by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The report was ...
report. *Confirming that the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP or DOTROIP) is a legally non-binding resolution passed by the United Nations in 2007. It delineates and defines the individual and collective rights of Indigenous peoples, including th ...
has no binding legal effect on New Zealand law. *Restore the right to local referendum on the establishment or ongoing use of Māori wards. *Remove Section 7AA from the
Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 The Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 or Children's and Young People's Well-being Act 1989 (titled the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989 prior to 14 July 2017) is an Act of the New Zealand Parliament that was passed in 1989. The Act' ...
. *Repeal the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Act 2022.


Monetary policy

*Narrow the
Reserve Bank of New Zealand The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ, mi, Te Pūtea Matua) is the central bank of New Zealand. It was established in 1934 and is constituted under the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 1989. The governor of the Reserve Bank is responsible for N ...
's mandate to managing price stability and inflation.


Natural resources

*Repeal the ban on offshore gas and oil drilling. *Replacing the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020.


Public sector

*Removing co-governance from the delivery of public services. *Legislating the
English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...
as an
official language An official language is a language given supreme status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically the term "official language" does not refer to the language used by a people or country, but by its government (e.g. judiciary, ...
. *Requiring all government departments to have their primary name in English and to communicate in English "except for those specifically related to Māori." *Ensuring that government contracts are awarded based on value rather than race. *De-establishing the
Water Services Reform Programme The Water Services Reform Programme (formerly known as Three Waters) is a public infrastructure restructuring programme launched by the Sixth Labour Government to centralise the management of water supply and sanitation in New Zealand. It origin ...
and returning assets to local councils. *Creating a new independent monitoring agency for
Oranga Tamariki Oranga Tamariki, also known as the Ministry for Children and previously the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, is a government department in New Zealand responsible for the well-being of children, specifically children at risk of harm, youth offen ...
(the Ministry for Children). *Halting several workstreams including Auckland light rail, Let's Get Wellington Moving, and the
Lake Onslow Lake Onslow is a man-made lake east of Roxburgh and south of Alexandra in the Otago region of New Zealand. It lies above sea level. It was formed in 1890 by the damming of the Teviot River and Dismal Swamp, with a new dam built in 1982 that ra ...
pumped hydro programme.


Regulation

*Creating a new regulatory agency (the Ministry for Regulation) to assess the quality of all new and existing legislation. *Amend the Overseas Investment Act 2005 to limit ministerial decision making to national security concerns. *Reducing regulatory barriers to promote competition.


Seniors

*Retaining the superannuation age at 65 years. *Upgrade Super Gold Card and Veterans cards. *Boost funding for
dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...
patients. *Amending legislation and the resource consent process to make it easier to build "grannie flats."


Taxation

*Tax cuts will be funded by the reprioritisation of government expenditure and revenue gathering rather than a tax on foreign housing buyers. *Repeal the Clean Car Discount. *Repeal mortgage interest deductibility for rental properties in various stages between 2023 and 2026.


List of executive members

The
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...
was announced on 24 November 2023 and consists of 20 members, 14 from the National Party, 3 from ACT and 3 from New Zealand First. Notable for being the first ever New Zealand government to have three parties in cabinet. A further five National MPs would sit outside of Cabinet, along with two ACT MPs and one NZ First MP. In a first for New Zealand, the
Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...
role will be split for the term, with
Winston Peters Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician serving as the leader of New Zealand First since its foundation in 1993. Peters served as the 13th deputy prime minister of New Zealand from 1996 to 1998 and 2017 to 2020 ...
holding the office until 31 May 2025.
David Seymour David Seymour may refer to: * David Seymour (English politician) (died 1557/58), 14th-century Member of Parliament (MP) for Wareham and Great Bedwyn *David Seymour (New Zealand politician) (born 1983), leader of the ACT Party *David Seymour (photo ...
will then take on the office until the conclusion of the term.


Ministers


Under-Secretaries & Private Secretaries


Controversies


Relationship with Māori

Several of the National-led coalition government's policies including a proposal to discontinue financial incentives for public servants to learn the
Māori language Māori (), or ('the Māori language'), also known as ('the language'), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and ...
, instructions for government departments to prioritise their
English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...
names over their Māori names, a proposed Treaty Principles Bill, and the proposed dissolution of
Te Aka Whai Ora Te Aka Whai Ora ( en, Māori Health Authority (MHA)) is an independent New Zealand government statutory entity tasked with managing Māori health policies, services, and outcomes. The agency is one of four national bodies that oversee New Zealand ...
(the Māori Health Authority) and the proposed repeal of the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022 were controversial among the Māori community, who perceived them as hostile and harmful towards Māori language, culture, and well-being. On 6 December 2023, the
Public Service Association The Public Service Association ( mi, Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi) or PSA is a democratic trade union that represents over workers in the Aotearoa New Zealand public sector. The aims of the PSA are: * strong public and community services * ...
, the
New Zealand Educational Institute The New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI, in Maori: Te Riu Roa) is the largest education trade union in New Zealand. It was founded in 1883 and has a membership of 50,000. History The NZEI was founded by a merger of district institutes of t ...
and the
Māori Language Commission The Māori Language Commission ( mi, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori) is an autonomous Crown entity in New Zealand set up under the Māori Language Act 1987 with the following functions: # To initiate, develop, co-ordinate, review, advise upon, an ...
voiced opposition to the Government's plans to review financial incentives for civil servants to learn Māori; a program which dated back to the 1980s. The Government plan gained support from the
New Zealand Taxpayers' Union The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union is a self-described taxpayer pressure group founded in 2013 to scrutinise government spending, publicise government waste, and promote an efficient tax system. It claims to be politically independent and not align ...
. On 12 December, a
Tauranga Tauranga () is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty region and the fifth most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of , or roughly 3% of the national population. It was settled by Māori late in the 13th century, colonised by ...
-based
iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...
(tribe) Ngai Te Rangi Settlement Trust filed an urgent claim with the Waitangi Tribunal, claiming that the Government was breaching Article Two of the
Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi ( mi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is a document of central importance to the history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national mythos of New Zealand. It has played a major role in the treatment of the M ...
by plans to discontinue financial incentives for public servants to learn Māori and instructing government departments to give primacy to their English names. The plaintiffs also claimed that Government directives for Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency) and
Te Whatu Ora Te Whatu Ora, or Health New Zealand, is a public health agency established by the New Zealand Government to replace the country's 20 district health boards (DHBs) on 1 July 2022. Te Whatu Ora is charged with working alongside the Public Health ...
(Health NZ) to use their English names breached Article One of the
Bill of Rights A bill of rights, sometimes called a declaration of rights or a charter of rights, is a list of the most important rights to the citizens of a country. The purpose is to protect those rights against infringement from public officials and pri ...
by suspending the operation of the Treaty. On 14 December, Lady
Tureiti Moxon Tureiti Haromi Moxon, Lady Moxon (née Hawkins; born 1957) is a New Zealand Māori health leader and campaigner. Biography Moxon was born in Wairoa, Hawkes Bay, in 1957, the daughter of Te Muera and Margaret Hawkins. Her iwi are Ngāti Pāhau ...
and Janice Kuka filed a claim at the Waitangi Tribunal against the Government's plans to dissolve the Māori Health Authority, claiming that it breached the Treaty of Waitangi. The Māori health organisation Hāpai Te Hauora and Health Coalition Aotearoa's co-chairwoman Professor Lisa Te Morenga also express concern that the proposed repeal of Smokefree legislation would have adverse health effects on New Zealanders including Māori.


Transgender issues

On 21 December 2023, ''
The New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation of all newspapers ...
'' reported that the Government was threatening to withhold public funding from sporting bodies if they did not comply with a policy to "ensure publicly funded sporting bodies support fair competition that is not compromised by rules relating to gender." This policy was promoted by New Zealand First, whose sports and recreation spokesperson
Andy Foster Andrew John Whitfield Foster (born 21 December 1961) is a New Zealand politician who served as Mayor of Wellington from 2019 to 2022. Foster served on the Wellington City Council for nine terms from 1992 until 2019. Biography Early life Foste ...
would promote fairness and safety for female athletes. Transgender athlete and national champion mountain biker Kate Weatherly claimed that the Government's new policy would force
transgender women A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and som ...
to compete in men's competitions or be sidelined completely. During the 2023 election, NZ First had campaigned about
transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...
people in bathrooms and sports; which included introducing legislation requiring public bodies to have "clearly demarcated" unisex and single-sex toilets, restricting toilet access to individuals from the opposite sex, and requiring sporting bodies to have an "exclusive biological female category."


Tenancy policies

As part of National's coalition agreement with ACT, the Government restored "no-cause"
eviction Eviction is the removal of a tenant from rental property by the landlord. In some jurisdictions it may also involve the removal of persons from premises that were foreclosed by a mortgagee (often, the prior owners who defaulted on a mortgage ...
s, reducing the notice period that tenants and landlords have to give for moving or selling property, gradually reintroducing mortgage interest deductibility on rental properties and establishing pet bonds for renters. While Renters' United criticised the Government for favouring landlords over tenants, the Property Investors Federation welcomed the new policies for alleviating the pressure on landlords, and stopping "tenants' tax".


Notes


References

{{Governments of New Zealand 2023 establishments in New Zealand Cabinets established in 2023 2020s in New Zealand National Government of New Zealand Coalition governments Ministries of Charles III National 6 New Zealand National Party Christopher Luxon