Christopher Luxon has unveiled National's action plan and what his party will target in its first 100 days of Government if elected.
National is currently on track to be voted back into Government, according to Newshub's latest poll, after six years in the opposition benches.
The latest Newshub Reid Research Poll showed the right bloc of National-ACT-New Zealand First will have 66 seats - more than enough to form a Government.
This has led to questions about what Luxon, the National Party leader, will target in his first 100 days of Government, if his party is elected on October 14.
"We have drawn up a 100-Day Action Plan to get started on rebuilding the economy, delivering tax relief, restoring law and order, and delivering better health, education, housing and infrastructure," Luxon said.
"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."
Luxon unveiled 12 policies National will get started on in its first 100 days of Government, most of which have already been announced.
Luxon said National will remove the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax, restore 90-day employment trial periods for all businesses, extend free breast cancer screening for women aged up to 74, repeal Labour's Three Waters legislation and RMA 2.0 laws and remove the Reserve Bank's dual mandate to get the "Bank focused on putting the lid back on inflation".
National will also have a focus on crime in its first 100 days, with Luxon saying his party will stop taxpayer funding for cultural reports which can be used for "weakening sentences for offenders", ban gang patches and gang members from gathering in public, extend the eligibility for remand prisoners to access rehabilitation programmes, crack down on serious youth offending, extend the eligibility for remand prisoners to access rehabilitation programs, encourage more virtual participation in court proceedings and give police greater powers to search gang members for firearms while also making gang membership an aggravating factor at sentencing.
Luxon said these are just "some of the actions" a National-led government will take in their first 100 days.
"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," Luxon said.
"This election is going to be close. If you want to guarantee change, you need to vote for National. A party vote for National is a vote for a government that will rebuild the economy to reduce the cost of living, deliver tax relief, restore law and order, and deliver better education and health care to New Zealanders. A party vote for National is also a vote for 100 days of action from a government that will get things done."
National's 100-day action plan
- Remove the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax which adds 11.5 cents per litre of petrol.
- Remove the Reserve Bank’s dual mandate to get the Bank focused on putting the lid back on inflation.
- Restore 90-day employment trial periods for all businesses.
- Extend free breast cancer screening for women aged up to 74.
- Repeal Labour’s Three Waters legislation.
- Repeal Labour’s RMA 2.0 laws.
- Ban gang patches, stop gang members gathering in public, and stop known gang offenders from communicating with one another.
- Give police greater powers to search gang members for firearms and make gang membership an aggravating factor at sentencing.
- Stop taxpayer funding for cultural reports which can be used for weakening sentences for offenders.
- Extend the eligibility for remand prisoners to access rehabilitation programmes.
- Crack down on serious youth offending.
- Encourage more virtual participation in court proceedings.
Reaction
Labour was quick to hit out at National's action plan, in particular, the party's plan to repeal Three Waters legislation.
Labour Party Local Government spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said National's plan to repeal the legislation will leave Kiwis "worse off".
He also questioned how National will afford it given no money was allocated towards it in their fiscal plan.
"The National Party said they'll repeal Affordable Water legislation in their first 100 days and step in financially if Councils can't cover the costs of water infrastructure upgrades. But Friday's fiscal plan allocated no money to do that," McAnulty said.
"National has made no provision of funding for their promised 'step-ins' when a Council can't meet the investment by themselves."
McAnulty said with no support from the Government and no "economies of scale from Labour's affordable water reforms" big rate increases are "inevitable".
"This is a big U-turn from National and explains why they've taken down their anti-water reforms billboards around the country," McAnulty said.
"Councils have been left high and dry and will now have to hike New Zealanders' rates bills to cover the $185 billion bill for water infrastructure over the next 30 years.
"On Friday a senior Auckland Council source was reported in the Herald saying water bills could rise by more than 20 per cent."
McAnulty believes Labour's plan will save Aucklanders "a lot of money" compared to National's.
"The establishment of an Auckland and Northland water entity will avoid the doubling of water bills that are projected in Auckland, and balance sheet separation will take pressure off Auckland's rates bills too," he said.
"National's ideological opposition to affordable water reform means ratepayers could face the worst of all worlds - increased rates, crumbling pipes, unsafe water and no long-term plan to fix things.
"The National Party made promises to ratepayers they cannot keep, and now their gift is rates bills New Zealanders can't afford. This is a broken promise and yet another multi-billion dollar hole in National's fiscals that will leave New Zealanders worse off."
