Friend,

2024 has been a tremendous year for New Zealand First.

Our parliamentary team, led by the Rt Hon Winston Peters, has worked hard to get a significant number of policy wins across the line, exhibiting experience and common sense in everything we do.

Our board, members council, and volunteers across the country have worked diligently to future proof our party - resulting in the most successful convention we’ve had in many years and invigorating our local teams. 

Friend, a big thanks to you, as well as our New Zealand First teams, members, and supporters for holding steadfast this year. 

Without your efforts our continued momentum after our return to parliament and government would not have been possible.

2025 is set to be a year of growth and success for our party - so make sure you rest and recharge over the summer break.

Friend, Christmas is a time to celebrate faith, family, and friends. 

Watch this Christmas message from the Rt Hon Winston Peters

Keep safe and enjoy the holidays.

Kind regards,

Julian Paul

Party President
New Zealand First 

P.S - remember to renew your membership or join for the first time for 2025.

Our Achievements for 2024

The Economy:

• Enhanced IRD oversight and improved fairness by increasing funding for IRD tax audits.
• Brought energy back to Foreign Affairs with over 300 political engagements including meeting with 54 Foreign ministers, 46 Heads of mission over 112 days overseas. 
• Increased the use of sanctions for beneficiaries who can work but refuse to take steps to find a job.
• Ensured moderate increase to the minimum wage
• Tightened the Accredited Employer Work Visa to attract the workers and skills we need.
• Scrapped Auckland Light Rail and funding for Let's Get Wellington Moving.
• Established a select committee inquiry into banking competition
• Suspended the requirement for new Significant Natural Areas.
• Stood up for the Wool Industry and will continue to do so.
• Established the National Infrastructure Agency to better coordinate funding and delivery of projects.
• Introduced the $1.2bn Regional Infrastructure Fund 
• Kept agriculture out of the Emissions Trading Scheme.
• Reversed the oil and gas ban.
• Repealed Labour's resource management regime - Natural and Built Environment and Spatial Planning Acts.
• Passed legislation to establish a fast-track one-stop-shop consenting and identified 149 projects of regional and national significance 
• Reduced spending on cycleways and established a ‘Pot hole fund’
• Put a serious focus on the mining industry and drafted a strategy on utilising minerals.
• Funded the alternate Brynderwyn highway as part of ‘Roads of National Significance’
• Progressed the business case for Northport Drydock
• Rolled over and extended marine farming permits by 20 years and put focus on the aquaculture industry.
• Announced the banning of greyhound racing in New Zealand.
• Took on the ‘Minister for Rail’ responsibility to fix the ferris and give Rail the attention it needs

Law & Order:

• Funding for 500 new police and more Youth Aid officers
• Boost police recruitment efforts and moving police to the front line
• Put the pressure on gangs by banning gang gatherings and patches in public and made gang membership an aggravating factor at sentencing.
• Further amendments to the sentencing act, including cumulative sentencing for those who commit offences on parole, on bail, or in custody.
• Enabled greater use of remote participation by victims in court proceedings.
• Introduced legislation to unlock tougher measures for young serious offenders.

Democracy & Equal Citizenship

• Committed to keeping our nation’s name - New Zealand
• Stopped work on He Pua Pua, stopped Three Waters, and abolished the Māori Health Authority.
• Put need, not race in the delivery of public services.
• Introduced legislation to amend section 58 of the Marine and Coastal Area Act
• Told Sport NZ to update Transgender Inclusion guiding principles to prioritise fairness and safety for women
• Introduced a member’s bill to provide for demarcated toilets exclusively for male, female, and unisex.
• Restored local referendums on Māori Wards.
• Established an independent second phase of the Covid-19 Inquiry and included vaccine safety, procurement, and adverse effects
• Stopped work on hate speech legislation.
• Require public service departments and Crown Entities to communicate primarily in English
• Reserved against WHO International Health Regulations
• Committed that National Interest tests are undertaken before any agreements are accepted so that New Zealand law holds primacy over an international agreement
• Announced that the government does not recognise the United Nations Declaration of Rights for Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as having any binding legal effect on New Zealand.

Public Service

• Kept the age of eligibility for Superannuation at 65.
• Established a select committee inquiry into aged care.
• Introduced a member’s bill to increase access to palliative care
• Refocused the education system on doing basics better by emphasising reading, writing, and maths.
• Announced the removal of the Relationship and Sexuality Education guidelines by end of term one 2025
• Maintained the Apprenticeship Boost scheme to support trades training
• Ended first year fees-free tertiary education and changed to final year fees-free.
• Delivered Pharmac its largest-ever budget, which has now funded life-saving medicines.
• Streamlined medicine approval and funding processes.
• Repealed the Therapeutic Products Act.
• More funding for the Ambulance Service as well as funding emergency helicopter replacements.
• Funding support for Coastguard, Surf life saving, and plunket.
• Introduced a harsher penalty regime to address teen vapinTightened rules around the prescription of puberty blockers and established a public consultation period to assess further possible restrictions.
• Funded Gumboot Friday, providing tens of thousands of free youth mental health counselling sessions

With more to come in 2025