Dear John --

This week, Nicola Willis and I announced the latest step in the Government’s plan to rebuild our economy and ease the cost of living for Kiwis.

From 1 July, our FamilyBoost policy will ensure eligible families can receive up to $75 per week to help with early childhood education expenses.

New data shows the previous Government left New Zealanders in a recession late last year.

A shrinking economy means it’s harder for you to get ahead, with fewer opportunities and tougher choices when you’re filling up the trolley or paying for childcare, while also covering the rent or mortgage.

That’s why our plan is more important than ever. We have to rebuild our economy and relieve the pressure on your back-pocket and that means delivering on our promises, like the FamilyBoost childcare credit.

All families earning up to $180,000 with early childhood education costs are eligible, with a sliding scale for those earning more than $140,000 to ensure support is directed to families in the most financial need.

It doesn’t stop there. We’re also going to provide tax relief through our first Budget in May, so you can keep more of your own hard-earned money and make more choices for your family. We’ll reduce wasteful spending while also investing in frontline services like health, education and Police.

In our first 100 days, we took 49 steps to start rebuilding our economy, restoring law and order and improving health and education. Next week, I’ll be sharing our latest action plan, packed with next steps on how we’ll deliver our commitments to you.

Christopher