100 Day Plan steams ahead with work in progress

Jacinda Ardern

Wellington, December 12, 2017

This week marks the half way stage of the Government’s 100 Day Plan and will see further pleasing progress on delivering on our commitments.

We promised that we would be a different government, one that makes dealing with child poverty and reducing inequality a priority.

We are delivering on that promise.

On Thursday (December 14), we will introduce legislation to give effect to the Families Package. Changes to Working for Families will boost the incomes of low and middle- income earners and lift tens of thousands of children out of poverty.

In addition, Best Start and the Winter Energy Payment will provide other much needed support to parents, superannuitants and beneficiaries.

Fiscal responsibility

We also promised that we would be a fiscally responsible government.

By cancelling the National government’s tax cuts, we can afford to deliver that support while still meeting the financial targets we have set ourselves.

This week we will reach the half way stage of our 100 Day Plan and I am pleased with the significant progress we have made to date.

There is much more to come as we continue to deliver on our plan, tackle National’s legacy of underfunding in health, housing and education and ensure the gains of economic growth are more fairly-shared.

Update on 100 Day Plan

1. Fees free for post-secondary school education or training for first year from 2018 – announced on December 5
2. Student allowances and living cost loans to increase by $50 from 1 January 2018 – announced on November 21
3. Extension of Paid Parental Leave – legislation passed on November 29
4. Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill setting minimum standards for rentals – legislation passed on November 29
5. Legislation to give effect to the Families Package – to be introduced this week
6. Ban on overseas speculators buying existing houses – legislation to be introduced this week
7. Issue directive to Housing New Zealand stopping the sell-off of state houses – to be delivered shortly
8. Begin work to establish the Affordable Housing Authority and KiwiBuild programme – underway
9. Tax Working Group – Terms of Reference announced and Chairman appointed on November 23, further appointments shortly
10. Restart contributions to the Super Fund – announced at the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update
11. Pike River Recovery Agency – establishment underway
12. Legislation to provide greater fairness in workplace – to be introduced when Parliament resumes late January
13. Minimum wage to rise to $16.50 to take effect from April 2018 – formal approval underway
14. Introduce legislation to set a child poverty reduction target and to change the Public Finance Act so the Budget reports progress on reducing child poverty – Child Poverty Reduction Bill to be introduced early next year when Parliament resumes
15. Legislation to make medicinal cannabis available for people with terminal illnesses or in chronic pain – to be introduced next week
16. Set up an inquiry into the abuse of children in state care – underway with chair and scope of inquiry to be announced in January
17. Set up a Ministerial Inquiry in order to fix our mental health crisis – underway, announcement early in New Year with inquiry members and terms of reference
18. Set zero carbon emissions goal and begin setting up independent Climate Commission – underway.

Jacinda Ardern is Prime Minister of New Zealand.