National will invest in: a $600 million road safety package to help bring down New Zealand’s road toll; $800 million of roading projects across Auckland; $333 million in Urban Cycleways across the country to change the face of cycling in New Zealand. National is accelerating the delivery of the City Rail Link project in Auckland to help address Auckland’s transport issues, and taking steps to future-proof the route for an additional Waitemata Harbour crossing in view of the rapid growth Auckland is set to undergo in the next 20 years.
The Green Party’s transport plan aims to give Aucklanders the freedom to escape congestion by delivering fast, clean and affordable public transport, and to make life easier for students by providing free off-peak public transport access with their Student Green Card. The Green Party will connect rail to Auckland airport by 2025 and rail to the North Shore by 2030, ensure city trains and buses run every few minutes at peak times, and invest citywide to make cycling safer and easier.
NZ First believes in a balanced transport network using road, rail and sea. NZ First will develop a programme of railways of national importance (RONI), to make better use of the country’s railway network. RONI will significantly reduce dependence on roads for heavy freight. NZ First supports trams or light rail where appropriate to ease road congestion, complement existing public transport services, and help reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.
Labour believes there is currently massive underinvestment in transport infrastructure, and is advocating for better investment for Auckland and the rest of the country. In Auckland, Labour fought hard to bring forward the investment in the City Rail Link, and most recently announced their policy to begin work on light rail from Mt Roskill to the CBD. Labour is committed to investing in quality and sustainable transport infrastructure across the country, including public and active transport options, which will take into account community wishes, represent value for money and not ignore factors such as climate change.
ACT believes that new technology is changing the way we move around our cities. ACT supports rules and regulations that allow ridesharing apps like Uber and Chariot to grow, as they have the potential to reduce congestion and emissions, and increase the efficiency of car journeys. ACT also supports the use of demand-based road pricing that would charge road users more at peak times, encouraging alternative modes of transport and spreading the traffic load throughout the day while reducing congestion at rush hour.
UnitedFuture supports the continued improvement of commuter buses, rail, and the school bus system to assist de-congesting roads at peak times in major cities. UnitedFuture will encourage greater use of cycling and walking as and countryside areas. UnitedFuture wants to keep transport safe by making third party insurance compulsory and supporting the labelling of cars for sale with their safety ratings.
National will increase land supply by introducing Special Housing Areas to fast-track new housing developments, and is proposing legislation that would enable major urban development projects to be built more quickly. National is aiming to increase housing supply and affordability by passing law reforms that make it easier (more land supply), faster (reduced time taken to get consents) and less expensive (reduced subdivision costs) to create new sections.
The Greens believe everyone has the right to a warm and dry home they can afford. The Greens advocate for a warrant of fitness for all rental housing, more secure tenancy rules, limits on rent increases, and an end to overpriced letting fees. The Greens are the only political party that wants a capital gains tax on property speculators, making houses more affordable by reducing property demand from investors here and overseas. The Greens would like to see the government build tens of thousands of new homes and sell some of these to low income families in a rent-to-buy programme. The Greens believe in building more quality, medium density housing close to where people work and socialise, instead of endless sprawling suburbs where people have to drive for hours to get anywhere. Finally, the Greens would like to see more insulation and energy efficiency in houses, reducing people’s power bills and helping the environment.
NZ First wants to build more houses urgently and maximise home ownership. NZ First will make sure there are low interest rates on home loans for first home buyers. NZ First will also stop any non-resident overseas buyer from purchasing houses in New Zealand, unless they have a special permit to do so.
Labour’s plan to fix the housing crisis: build affordable houses, crack down on speculators, and support those in need. Labour’s KiwiBuild programme will build 100,000 high quality, affordable homes over 10 years — with 50% of them in Auckland — supported by initiatives to grow the building workforce. Labour will ban offshore speculators from buying existing homes, tax speculators who flick houses within five years, and put a stop to negative gearing tax breaks for speculators. Finally, Labour will support those in need by building more state houses instead of selling them off, focusing Housing New Zealand on helping people, not making a profit. Labour will also require all rental homes to be warm, dry and healthy.
ACT believes there is a housing shortage caused primarily by red tape that holds back development of new houses. ACT would cut this red tape by creating a separate planning framework for urban areas focused on getting houses built, as new housing cannot be developed effectively when it is subject to the same law that protects our natural, undeveloped areas. ACT would also incentivize councils to support housing, and build the streets, sewers and water supplies that housing needs, by sharing the GST that the government collects from construction activity with the local council. The more building they consent, the greater the cash injection they will receive from central Government.
UnitedFuture shares the Kiwi dream of home ownership and will work to achieve affordable, secure, warm, dry housing. UnitedFuture would encourage home ownership by allowing families to capitalise their Working for Families entitlements each year as a lump sum to help purchase their first home, extend existing homes, or increase equity in a home. UnitedFuture supports the selling of state houses with very high valuations (some are over $1 million), or those properties that are not configured for those who need them (e.g. too few or too many bedrooms), and using the proceeds to purchase other properties for use as state houses.
New Zealand’s natural environment continues to be a priority for National, who have set targets to protect and preserve our native species, flora and fauna, special places and natural heritage. $28m will be invested for Predator Free New Zealand 2050 — the world’s largest and most ambitious invasive species eradication project. $11m will be invested to reverse Kiwi decline in the wild, with a target of 100,000 kiwis by 2030. National will also upgrade tracks in Kauri forests to prevent the spread of Kauri dieback, and strengthen DOC rangers’ powers to protect native wildlife from poaching and smuggling.
Environment and conservation are at the heart of the Green Party, who want to ensure they are protected not just for us today, but for generations to come. The Greens believe urgent measures need to be taken to protect our environment from the threat of climate change; that we can no longer accept the idea that our growing economy needs to be balanced with the limits of our environment, but rather accept that our economy, our wellbeing and future all depend on a healthy environment here today and are nothing without it. The Greens seek to put a stop to river pollution with solutions such as putting a moratorium on new dairy farms, one of the most polluting sectors affecting our rivers, and have plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the clearing of our native species’ natural habitats. The Green Party stands up for the environment by pushing back against corporate interests who seek to exploit the environment for short term gain, and by calling out those who put profit above people and planet.
NZ First will ensure sustainable management and preservation of the country’s water resources by stopping the transfer and sale of water consents. A consent is obtained for a particular purpose and should only be used for that purpose. Businesses taking water for export should pay a royalty with at least 25 per cent of that being kept in the region from where the water was taken.
Labour rejects the notion that we can’t have both a pristine environment and a growing economy. Addressing climate change is of utmost importance to Labour, who plan to reduce emissions by establishing an independent Climate Commission, tasked with planning a transition towards a low carbon economy and implementing a serious plan of carbon budgeting using the emissions trading scheme. On water, Labour believes all of our rivers and lakes should be safe to swim in, and that a new National Policy Statement is urgently needed to stop rivers getting dirtier and to clean them up so they are swimmable. Labour will invest in protecting our natural environment and aims that in 10 years’ time New Zealand’s endemic wildlife population will be stabilised and increasing, with species coming off the endangered list regularly.
The ACT Party believes that property rights and private initiative are the best means of environmental protection. ACT would improve water quality by introducing tradeable water use rights for rivers so that owners of water rights will ensure water is used efficiently and that water is not polluted. ACT would increase the number of native animal and bird sanctuaries by selling the government-owned farming company, LandCorp, and putting the proceeds into a Sanctuary Trust.
UnitedFuture supports the values of sustainable use, sharing the environment, making decisions on empirical evidence and education as the best tool for protecting the environment. That’s why UnitedFuture supports a 25 dollar levy paid by all tourists entering the country, to share the cost of protecting the environment we all enjoy. UnitedFirst wants to provide additional funding to Regional Councils for a programme to clean up all of New Zealand’s lakes and rivers that are suffering from accumulated pollution such as agricultural runoff, and assist poorer communities and local authorities with the improvement of wastewater and sewerage treatment scheme facilities.
National is focused on improving tertiary education, lifting achievement, and getting better outcomes for students and taxpayers. National wants to help students get the qualifications they need to succeed and play their part in growing our economy by committing to interest free student loans, even after graduation. Under the current National government, taxpayers directly subsidise around 70 per cent of tertiary education costs for all students, and when taking account that many students pay their fees through the Student Loan Scheme, over 80 per cent of the full cost of a student’s tertiary study is paid by taxpayers. The National government spends 48 per cent of the budget for tertiary education on financial aid to students, while the OECD average is just 22 per cent.
The Green Party wants a world-class tertiary education system that provides support for students, quality teaching and great research opportunities, not just in science and engineering but also in the Arts. That also means better systems to support students, particularly Māori and Pasifika, in the transition from school to tertiary education. In Government, the Greens will work towards a system in which fees are lowered, student debt is phased out, and the eligibility to student allowances is extended. The current zero interest scheme for student loans will be kept, repayment thresholds adjusted to start at a higher income level, and a progressive repayment scheme introduced. Student support will be reviewed to make sure that allowances and other support reflect the actual cost of living, because too many students are struggling to make ends meet. The Greens will work towards a universal student allowance by reducing the age at which students are means tested on their parents' income and re-instate the allowance for postgraduate students.
NZ First will get rid of student loan debts for Kiwi students staying and working here in New Zealand after they finish their studies, the only requirement being that they work for the same number of years as they have studied. So, three years in tertiary education requires three equivalent years in the workforce. This dollar-for-dollar debt write-off scheme will also apply for students with a current loan debt. But if they leave for a big OE, and decide to work overseas, they will have to pay back the cost of their tertiary education. Additionally, NZ First will introduce a universal living allowance for full-time students that is free from parental means testing.
Labour has always been a champion for quality, free public education that provides all New Zealanders with the opportunity to achieve their full potential. It was the first Labour government that introduced free universal provision of secondary schooling, and the most recent Labour government that introduced free entitlement to early childhood education and interest free student loans. The next Labour government will introduce a Working Futures Plan which provides three years of free tertiary education and training over a person’s lifetime, aimed at reducing record levels of student debt and opening the door for people who have never had the opportunity to undertake higher education in the past to upskill or retrain. Labour will also introduce minimum standards for rentals while also building thousands of new houses to ensure student accommodation is decent and affordable.
The ACT Party supports a range of choices for people at all levels of education, including tertiary education. ACT believes it is wrong that student support is given out depending on a person’s parents’ declared income, regardless of whether they actually provide financial support. ACT believes it isn’t fair that some people get allowances and others don’t, and the difference is often only how their parents’ income is earned – whether as a wage or salary, or as income from a business.
UnitedFuture proposes a bold new approach to tertiary education policy, which would see New Zealand finally offer free education to its citizens from the age of 3 years old, right through to university and beyond. This includes a zero-fees policy for tertiary education in New Zealand in place of Student Allowances, accompanied by a push to increase the quality of tertiary education and protect the value of New Zealand degrees. UnitedFuture wants to promote greater awareness amongst young people of the opportunities afforded by vocational training, such as apprenticeships, and encourage networks and co-operation between tertiary providers and industry to ensure that skills taught are relevant and required in the future labour market.
National is committed to reducing the tax burden and in particular the impact of tax rates on lower and middle income earners, when there is room to do so. There's not going to be some big sugar shot with tax cuts. National has three other priorities they are also considering in Budget 2017, including public services, infrastructure, and reducing national debt, so it’s not yet clear how much room they will have for tax relief this year and over the next three years. National wants to be able to help and support low and middle income families, demonstrated last year with increases in the minimum wage to $15.75, and $25 a week extra income for welfare families with children. The current average annual wage of almost $59,000 under National’s government is expected to reach $66,000 by 2021.
The Green Party believes wages are too low in New Zealand. In government, the Greens will lead by example by paying all state employees at the least living wage: $20.20 an hour, and raise the minimum wage so it’s always at least 66 percent of the average wage. The Greens will support high-wage industries like technology, software, and science to create new, well-paying jobs. The Greens’ basic tax principle is to tax bad things, not good things — for example, a stronger tax on sources of pollution causing climate change, balanced by a tax cut for all income earners. The Greens believe that our economy has become skewed because of the tax advantages of investing in property. A proposed capital gains tax would rebalance that by encouraging people to invest in businesses instead, which creates jobs. In government, the Greens will focus on closing the loopholes multinational companies use to avoid paying taxes in New Zealand.
NZ First’s record on fair wages is one of integrity. In 2005, NZ First campaigned to address the then low minimum wage under the Labour government; as part of their agreement with Labour, NZ First insisted that the minimum wage go from $9 per hour to $12 progressively by 2008, representing the biggest rise in the shortest time in the country’s history. NZ First continues to push for the government to update the minimum wage in a meaningful way. NZ First opposes mass immigration being used to drive wages and conditions down. NZ First will remove GST from food and rates to ease the burden of household bills.
In recognition of the significant changes the 21st century is bringing to our economy and how we work, once elected, Labour will focus on implementing a Future of Work programme that will enable New Zealanders to have sustainable, fulfilling and well-paid employment in the coming decades through providing improved post-secondary school training, support for young entrepreneurs, and professional careers advice in schools, among other initiatives. Labour is also committed to reviewing New Zealand’s current tax system which they believe has become unbalanced, with a small number of individuals and entities not paying their fair share and a heavy reliance on wage and salary earners. Labour seeks to establish a fairer tax system in which everyone who benefits from our public services and infrastructure contributes to our tax base.
The ACT Party wants every New Zealand worker and business owner to keep more of their own money. ACT supports income tax cuts across the board so that everyone who works gets to keep more of their pay. ACT wants to see the price of houses fall relative to incomes, so that less of people’s pay has to go to rent or mortgage interest and they can spend or invest more of it in the way they choose.
UnitedFuture believes the tax system should work in the interests of those raising families and it should empower family and community self-sufficiency rather than creating dependency. UnitedFuture wants to introduce income sharing for families, which would see people being able to split their incomes with their partners in order to pay less tax. UnitedFuture also wants to introduce compulsory Kiwisaver, and opposes the introduction of a capital gains tax on the sale of property.