““I fully recognise the danger of socialism to our people and the cult of equality” ~ Sir Apirana Ngata, National Party Co-Founder and illustrious NZ poet
Dear John,
I know it’s a tough time out there for many right now, which is why our government is working hard to make sure there’s a brighter future for all New Zealanders in 2025 and beyond.
Central to this is a growing economy. Without a growing economy, my son, your children and our grandchildren will simply have no viable future in New Zealand.
The legacy Labour left us with, and successive governments to be fair, is a future with high government debt, low incomes and low economic opportunities relative to our international peers.
To tackle this we have two options: either to tax everyone and everything more (which is what Labour and the left will offer), or to pick ourselves up as a people, become more productive and to lift our economy to great new heights.
Our government’s approach is about aggressively pursuing the latter option: economic growth.
We will achieve this by building a world class education system, getting rid of regulation that stymies development and growth, welcoming foreign investment and trade, getting on and building infrastructure not just talking about it, and incentivising innovation and commercialisation of research and development.
Want proof of our approach? Just last month, the PM unveiled Invest New Zealand, a one-stop-shop to attract foreign investment and create high-paying jobs.
Modelled on successful examples from countries like Ireland and Singapore, this initiative will open the door to more capital and innovation in sectors like banking, fintech, and energy.
We’re also rolling out the biggest reset of the science and innovation sector in more than 30 years. New reforms will modernise the way we harness Kiwi ingenuity, with a sharper focus on commercialising research to deliver real economic benefits.
Whether it’s breakthroughs in health, climate solutions, or cutting-edge technology, this transformation will bring more jobs, more investment, and more opportunities to New Zealand.
We know there is a lot to do to turn 50 years of economic underperformance around, but we are throwing all our efforts into this endeavour. Our success as a government we know will ultimately be measured by the outcomes we achieve and deliver.
I look forward to updating you regularly on our economic progress and welcome any feedback you may have on our agenda.
