Leader of the Labour Party FTMP gave his final address of the election campaign this afternoon in Mangere. The event was also livestreamed on various social media.
"Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Good afternoon everyone, thank you all for being here on the last day of the campaign. We've come a long way since the beginning, but it's a testament to your support that we're here at the end of it. Who knows what tomorrow will deliver us, but it's thanks to you that we're in with a chance.
"You've been bombarded with many different messages throughout this campaign. The ACT Party preaches tax cuts, benefit cuts, superannuation cuts, regulation cuts. It's as if their 'Ctrl V' keys got stuck when they were writing their manifesto. I'm sure they'll be able to pay for their plan, 'cause they'll just keep cutting things until it's balanced.
"The National Party promises tax cuts without cuts to major programs. They've not told us how much they want to cut taxes by but if they want to increase funding for education, make GP visits free, sell state houses at a loss and do it all without borrowing money, I'll bet they'll have to give us negative tax cuts. If they're busy spending half their campaign budget on a personally branded plane, I think they can hardly be trusted with this country's finances.
"The United Future preaches moderation without extremism. It's a lovely sentiment, but apparently the extremism they're so keen to avoid includes actual policy positions. It looks like United Future are trying to avoid saying anything too certain in case it limits their options after the election. They're not a good choice if you actually want to see anything done.
"On the left, you'll have heard a coherent, united message. The Labour and Green parties have spent two terms in government already. We know how it's done. You know you can trust a Labour-Greens government.
"I'm particularly proud of Labour's policy this election. Although we've come a long way in the last six years, there's still more for us to do. In education, we're going to focus on early childhood, primary and secondary education. It's vital that we invest in the first years of our children's education because it's the thing that sets them up for the rest of their lives. According to the most recent predicitions, children born now will still be alive in a hundred years' time. Choices we make now will have far reaching effects.
"Labour will extend the $150 per student currently offered to schools if they don't ask for a school donation to $200. This will help the financial burden of sending kids to school away from parents. In the past few decades the 'free education' we used to have has becoming increasingly expensive. Parents are asked to fork out for de facto compulsory school donations, school uniforms, field trips, sports uniforms, music lessons and a whole host of other things. The latest estimates suggest families can expect to pay more than $30,000 over thirteen years for a so-called 'free education'. That is absolutely absurd! Many parents simply cannot afford that expense. The rising cost of education is hurting low income families who can't keep up. If we don't do anything about it, it is going to lock people into poverty for generations to come.
"In secondary education, we're going to conduct a review of NCEA to investigate how it's being offered and how it can better be offered. In many schools, it's being used as a pathway to university. Less than 30% of school leavers end up at University doing a Bachelor's degree - most of them are doing lower level courses or go straight into the workforce. We need to examine how we're offering NCEA and see how its flexibility can be better used for students.
"Labour will subsidise GP visits for all New Zealanders, so that under 18s are free and adults are much cheaper. Thousands of New Zealanders choose not to go to the doctor every year when they need to because they decide they can't afford the cost. Invariably, these are people from low income families. These are the New Zealanders who need all the help they can get. This is another example of how the cost of things is contributing to the cycle of poverty. If the poorest New Zealanders can't get the help they need, they miss out on school or work. It makes it harder for them to hold onto long term employment, it makes it harder for them to pay for housing.
"In the next term, Labour will improve the rights of renters. In New Zealand our laws surrounding renting are far behind other countries. We need to make renting a more sustainable long term solution for families. Labour will limit rent increases to every 12 months and require that the formula for rent increases is specified in the rental agreement. This will help kiwi families keep on top of rent and not get into agreements they won't be able to afford further down the line. We'll increase the 42 day notice period to 90 days. This will give families more time to find the right place when they need to move. We're also going to ban letting fees, which are an unreasonable upfront cost that makes it harder for families get a home.
"Labour will lower GST to 12%, lowering the cost of vital items that families need. We'll also lower the corporate tax rate to 25%, which will give small businesses a welcome boost. At the same time we'll crack down on corporate tax evasion. We'll also add a new income tax bracket for income over $140,000, taxed at 40%. All of this will help balance our tax system.
"Labour will ban new offshore drilling. Whether we like it or not, fossil fuels must be consigned to the past. We have to end our reliance on them. New Zealander is already a world leader in clean energy. 80% of our electricity production is renewable. But this isn't enough. We need to get to 100%.
"We also need to look at our other energy use. The petrol car still dominates our transport. We have to move towards more efficient and more sustainable forms of transport. This means making our cities more friendly to pedestrians and cyclists, so that we can stop using the car for short trips. We need to invest in public transport. And we need to invest in electric cars and other green forms of transport.
"The Labour Party's vision for the future of New Zealand is a society of equal opportunity, where everyone, regardless of their family's background, has the same chance. For a society of truly equal opportunity, we need to help those in need - particularly low income families - we need to give our young people a leg up. It means a fair and balanced tax system. It means paying workers a living wage. It means looking after our environment. It means investing in clean green technologies.
"The Labour Party is committed to delivering this future. A future for all New Zealanders, not one where your success is determined by your parents' income, your gender or the colour of your skin. So when you go to vote, whether it's later today or tomorrow, vote for a future for all New Zealanders. Vote Labour!"