Hi John,



On Labour’s watch, New Zealand’s health system has fallen into a crisis. Every health measure has gone backwards and a severe shortage of nurses and midwives is contributing to the public facing ballooning waitlists, delays accessing treatment, and overcrowded emergency departments.



New Zealand’s health workers are being actively recruited to work overseas but our frontline is already struggling with a shortage of about 4000 nurses and hundreds of midwives.



Actionis needed and that’s why today, while visiting a medical centre in Auckland, I announced that a National government will pay nurses’ and midwives’ student loan repayments, up to $4,500 a year for the first five years of their careers, in return for them committing to work in New Zealand for at least five years after they graduate.



A nurse or midwife in this new bonding scheme would increase their take-home pay by up to $87 a week and, over five years, would be $22,500 better off.



Further, since there’s a need to retain nurses right now, the bonding scheme will be open to registered nurses and midwives who have graduated within the last five years, on a pro-rata basis.



We’ll also make New Zealand more attractive by offering a relocation grant of up to $10,000 for 1000 qualified overseas nurses or midwives who move here for work.



This is a practical, workable policy that a National government will bring in to help fix one of the many problems that’s getting worse under Labour. It’ll cost around $60 million a year and National will pay for it out of the remaining unallocated money from our commitment to cut Labour’s spending on contractors and consultants by $400 million a year.



That consultant spend has been part of Labour’s gross wastage of public money. In fact, Labour is spending an extra $1 billion a week, compared with the last National government. No wonder they’ve added on so many taxes and have refused to adjust tax brackets for inflation. They need your money to feed their spending habit.



This week, Revenue Minister David Parker released reports suggesting that the wealthiest New Zealanders were not paying their fair share of tax. Plainly, he’s laying the groundwork for Labour to announce a capital gains tax, a wealth tax and an inheritance tax – or a combination of those – which will hit many New Zealanders, not just the wealthiest. You can’t trust Labour on tax – except to know that they’ll keep coming after your hard-earned money. 



National is the party of lower taxes and better public services. There will be no capital gains tax, no wealth tax and no inheritance tax under a government I lead. And you can look forward to National adjusting tax brackets for inflation so you can keep more of what you earn.



You have my word on it.



Christopher







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NZ National Party - 41 Pipitea St, Wellington 6011, New Zealand

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