His Excellency’s Most Gracious Speech from the Throne

Special Session of Parliament

Honourable Members of the House of Representatives, it is my pleasure to announce today that Together for All and the Labour Party have reached an agreement to form the next government of New Zealand.

This government will be one of true progressive change, of uplifting New Zealand's most marginalised, and taking real action to end the scourge of poverty and homelessness in this country. This government will work to put power back into the hands of the people, and work to advance principles of equity and fairness in everything we do.

This government acknowledges that te Tiriti o Waitangi and He Whakaputanga are the founding documents of this country, and will work to uphold the principle of mana motuhake for tangata whenua. We will work to achieve better outcomes for Māori and uphold te Tiriti, recognising that it is what the authority of this government is built off.

In the area of finance, my government has committed to establishing a basic income for every New Zealander over the age of 16 during its term. This basic income will serve to uplift hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders out of poverty, and ensure that working people have access to the basic necessities of life like food, water, and shelter.

My government will mandate that young workers are properly paid the minimum wage, abolishing the starting-out rate and extending the minimum wage to workers under the age of 16. It is important that businesses cannot use young New Zealanders as cheap labour, paying them less than they deserve. My government will act to fix that.

My government will make wage theft a criminal offence. If you are a boss who is knowingly ripping off your workers, you are an absolute bum, and my government will ensure that workers who are unfairly treated by their bosses get the justice that they deserve.

In the areas of defence and foreign affairs, my government will recognise the State of Palestine and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic as independent states. My government will commit to upholding New Zealand's global role as a defender of peace, promoting pacifism on the global stage and reducing funding to New Zealand's military to recognise that games of war will not make us safer, and that the risk New Zealand stands of being faced with war is laughably miniscule.

My government will protect New Zealand students by overturning the ACT government's Education Amendment Bill and once again prohibiting charter schools, ending the failed experiment started in 2012 that has been heavily criticised by teachers and education unions.

In the field of the environment, my government will reinstate the Zero Carbon Act, restoring progress that was overturned to help us fulfil our obligations under the Paris Agreement and to work towards a carbon-neutral future. My government will invest $500 million in a new Flood Commission, which will be empowered to invest in flood control and relief measures.

My government will establish a "Healthy Transition Fund" to subsidise transitions to renewable energy in Pacific island nations, recognising the obligation that New Zealand has to our Pasifika whānau and our global duty to reduce carbon emissions worldwide. My government will fully implement the Three Waters proposal.

In areas of health, my government will establish clear and specific surrogacy legislation, to allow for couples who seek surrogacy, who are disproportionately gay and lesbian, to be recognised as parents from the moment of birth rather than having to go through an arduous process of adoption. My government will also establish specialised endometriosis clinics across the country, to help assist women struggling with endometriosis.

In the field of housing, my government has committed to the construction of 30,000 new public housing units a year, to ensure that more New Zealanders have access to safe, secure, publicly-funded homes. My government will promote strong building policies and dense housing to ensure a solution to the housing crisis.

In regards to immigration, my government will establish a quick and easy pathway to New Zealand residency for Pasifika climate refugees, again in recognition of the duty that New Zealand holds to our Pasifika whānau to protect them from the impacts of climate change. My government will increase Immigration New Zealand's funding by 30%, and also lift the number of student visas offered by 50% over five years.

My government will bring back the Shipping Corporation of New Zealand, established by the government of Norman Kirk, as a state-owned enterprise, creating a publicly-owned shipping company to guarantee an essential service for New Zealand port workers.

In the field of justice, my government will establish a multi-jurisdictional community justice court in Manurewa, the first of its kind in New Zealand. The court will replicate international best practices in community justice, such as Brooklyn's Red Hook Community Justice Center, or more closer to home, the Neighbourhood Justice Centre in Collingwood on the West Island. My government will work to disarm the police force by moving towards models of de-escalation.

My government will work to rectify past wrongs by establishing a Dawn Raids Commission, which will be financlally empowered to invest in Pasifika communities. My government will empower the Waitangi Tribunal to bind the crown.

Finally, in the field of regional New Zealand, my government will invest $300 million in rural firefighting and ambulance services, to ensure that these essential services are delivered equitably across all of the nation. My government will also work to phase out dairy farming in the Mackenzie Basin area, recognising its unique environment and vulnerability to heavy farming.

Honourable members, I am confident that this government will work to deliver real change for New Zealand's working people, and true progress for our most marginalised. This speech outlines their forward-thinking agenda to make our nation a better place to live, to rectify past wrongs, and to lead the globe in progressive change.

Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnei tātou katoa.