Honourable Members of the House of Representatives, it is a privilege for me to exercise the prerogative of Her Majesty the Queen and open the Ninth Parliament.

E nga Mema o te Whare Paremata o Aotearoa, tenei aku mihi mahana ki a koutou, tena koutou katoa.

A few weeks ago, New Zealanders exercised their democratic right and responsibility of voting and elected a new Parliament. Resoundingly, the people of New Zealand voted to continue our current path of tackling the great issues facing everyday New Zealanders head-on and without political opportunism.

Following the results of the election, the National and ACT Parties have formed a coalition government, with confidence and supply being provided by the Kiwi Party. This agreement provides the government with a clear majority and ability to govern in the interests of all New Zealanders.

My government will consider all issues that come before it based on four main principles: fiscal responsibility, equality of opportunity, personal freedom, and ensuring the government works efficiently in the interests of all New Zealanders.

My government will present an evidence-based appropriations bill to the House with the intent of reforming government spending to focus on the systems and services that matter to New Zealanders. The appropriations bill will include a reduction of subsidies to large corporations of at least fifty percent, with the reduction being reinvested in broad-based corporate tax relief.

Economic growth in New Zealand will be kick-started by embracing our role as a global leader of innovation by introducing a brand new Resource & Development tax credit which will encourage existing businesses to explore new ways of producing products and encourage new businesses to set up shop and pursue worthy ideas.

My government will establish a Behavioural Insights Team that will apply nudge theory on government policies and services to efficiently serve the citizens of New Zealand.

Relief is on the way for every taxpayer in New Zealand. My government will increase the personal exemption on income taxes, and increase the value of in-work tax credits, to ensure our taxpayers are able to keep more in their pocket per year to see as they see fit for them and their family. In addition, my government will further cut the first bracket of income taxation, in the interest of every New Zealander.

Our tax system will be made clearer and fairer through my government’s plan to remove boutique tax credits in favour of broad tax cuts that benefit the majority of New Zealanders, rather than the select few who successfully lobby for boutique tax credits. As well, my government will completely reject any stealth taxation or fee programs, and will keep sin taxation and carbon taxation levels at their current rates.

Under my government, the KiwiSaver program will be further reformed to allow for new sidecar funds that allow average New Zealanders to invest in their future in the manner they see fit. Likewise, we will seek to repeal multiple protectionist provisions in the KiwiSaver Act which will make the program more efficient and effective.

Improving healthcare outcomes will be one of the top three priorities for my government. Recognising that further investment must be made, we will allocate $1.4 billion dollars to the redevelopment of the Dunedin hospital which has surpassed its useful lifespan. Historic increases will be made to the budget for Mental Health services in New Zealand, acknowledging fully that mental healthcare is as important as physical healthcare.

My government will invest in healthcare services that serve New Zealanders of every age. We will increase funding and access to family planning services and support to ensure younger New Zealanders are able to easily access these programs, we will increase funding for Dementia Care programs across the nation to guarantee aged New Zealanders and those who care for them get the support they need and deserve.

Public Health will be recognised as an integral spoke of the New Zealand health system and as such, my government will implement a robust colon cancer screening program for those aged 60 and over. As well, our government will reform regulation of Pseudoephedrine by removing prescription requirements and instead tracking purchases.

Under my government, immunisation against preventable diseases will become a requirement for receiving the Childcare Subsidy and Working for Families payments. To further fight against preventable diseases, penalties will be imposed on childcare facilities that admit unvaccinated children, undermining the critical principle of herd immunity.

My government will seek to continue the economic reforms of the last government. We will split KiwiBank off from New Zealand Post, reduce the government’s shares of New Zealand Post to 51 percent, reduce the government’s share of KiwiRail to 51 percent, and will re-introduce a youth minimum wage to encourage employers to take a chance hiring younger labourers who need real on-the-job experience to develop skills.

Workplace safety will see an unprecedented investment under my government. The appropriations bill will include a fifty-seven million dollar increase to the budget of WorkSafe New Zealand to better utilise data and information for predictive workplace safety modelling, and ensure our workplace safety regulations and actions are clearly targeted, aligned, and flexible.

Unpaid work will be targeted by my government by instructing Statistics New Zealand to study data on frequency, severity, and impact of unpaid work through the census. Collection of this data will be used for my government to better combat unpaid work through regulation, education, and enforcement.

Under my government, the education system in New Zealand will undergo multiple reforms to improve outcomes, become more efficient, and better serve the students of tomorrow through educating them on tangible topics and subjects. To accomplish these objectives, my government will subsidise vocational education certificates for adult participants, which will allow more New Zealanders to join fields that both interest them and allow them to support their families.

Further, my government will introduce a brand new mentorship program that encourages our students to enter our domestic labour market, which will help fill the need for in-demand careers and give New Zealanders a chance to get ahead, rather than just get by. My government will also integrate Innovation Institutes close to and at tertiary institutions, cementing New Zealand as a hub of knowledge and innovation.

My government will finally take the necessary step of instituting performance pay for teachers, ensuring that the best educators get the recognition that they deserve and that poorer-performing educators don’t get a free ride at the expense of our country’s education outcomes.

Partnership Schools will be reintroduced under my government, with the recognition that they hold incredible opportunity to increase student achievement and success rates. In addition, my government will allow state schools to convert to the partnership school model as they see fit.

The housing affordability crisis will be attacked head-on with evidence-based market policies that allow the supply of housing to catch up to the demand of housing. Part of this will be the continuation of Resource Management Act reform begun last term to remove unreasonable restrictions on housing development. My government will specifically remove the regulation of building height and density to encourage denser and taller developments.

My government will amend the official definition of Minor Dwelling to ensure they’re permissible on tens of thousands of property lots across the country, which will allow existing homeowners to grow the housing supply and earn extra income from a rental or ownership suite on their property.

Plots of land around the town of Kumeu will be purchased and subdivided under my government, and then sold for private housing development to encourage development in Northern Auckland and relieve market stress for housing in Auckland.

My government will make investments in new social housing units within private-sector developments that will allow the government to provide more units at a faster rate and at a lower cost to the taxpayer compared to large-scale exclusive social housing developments. Under my government, property rights will be further entrenched by requiring central and local governments to provide at least eight weeks notice before the expropriation or demolition of required property, while also offering fair compensation akin to the land’s value.

A congestion pricing scheme will be established in Wellington to fight traffic, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and encourage the use of public transportation instead of personal automobiles. In addition, my government will introduce amendments to land transportation legislation that will pave the way for the transition to autonomous vehicles which will further reduce not just congestion, but road collisions.

On the west coast of New Zealand, my government will establish three Marine Wildlife Reserves that will allow our biologists to better understand marine life, encourage protection of our wildlife, and increase eco-tourism in New Zealand. Further, my government will invest historic sums into drinking water infrastructure in regional New Zealand, to ensure all New Zealanders have access to quality drinking water no matter where they live in our country.

Investments will be made into a new ferry service between Queens Wharf and Wellington Airport which will allow Wellingtonians to access the airport with ease and convenience, and give visitors and tourists easier access to the city.

My government will make evidence-based amendments to land transport legislation to encourage the adoption of Electric Vehicles, which will be introduced alongside funding for Electric Vehicle infrastructure like charging hubs.

Recognising the future need for hydroelectric power in New Zealand with a gradual transition away from fossil fuels, my government will work to encourage unrivaled investment in new sustainable forms of electricity generation like solar and wind.

Māori land will, under my government, be exempted from paying the Land Value Tax to level the fiscal playing field between the Māori population and the Pakeha population. As well, my government will investigate flaws within Whanau Ora in order to strengthen the program’s benefit to Māori communities.

Cultural policy will finally be given the attention it needs and deserves under my government. We will establish a National Pride Fund, funded by private endowments, which will be controlled by the Ministry of Culture with the explicit goal of funding events and programs that increase New Zealand pride and morale across the country. Further, my government will recognise the signatories of Te Tiriti o Waitangi through the annual rotation of official treaty signing commemorations, following a broad consultation with Tangata Whenua throughout the country.

The rating of film and media will be reformed under my government, with pornographic material being reduced to R16 to align with the New Zealand age of consent, as well as the reclassification of sexually explicit and physically violent media to a more appropriate rating. My government will also continue and expand the historic investment in Ultrafast Broadband connectivity within the rural regions of New Zealand, to ensure everyone has access to a twenty-first internet.

My government will split funding for Radio New Zealand away from funding for New Zealand on Air, to be better able to allocate funding directly to this important public resource while decreasing funding to New Zealand on Air which has proven itself to be little more than a bureaucratic slush fund.

Funding will be allocated for a Pacifica Cup match hosted by the International Cricket Council. As well, my government will work with New Zealand Cricket to encourage them to collaborate with Tangata Whenua to introduce a representative cricket squad for the Pacifica Cup. Recognising the value of organised sports and exercise, my government will increase funding for community-based sport and exercise activities, to ultimately improve the physical health of every New Zealander.

Various initiatives will be researched, developed, and funded to encourage more tourism to New Zealand from East Asian nations, representing an untapped opportunity to further the ties of our nations as well as grow our economy. In addition, my government will encourage increased tourism between sister cities in New Zealand.

My government will invest $1.6 billion dollars over the next ten years in the construction and operation of Waikato-based motorsports facility. This investment will grow the economy in Waikato and in New Zealand as a whole, and will also include Formula 1 and MotoGP hosting fees.

Evidence-based foreign policy will be further refined under my government. This will include the liberalisation of the recognised Seasonal Employee program by reforming the nationality restrictions imposed on workers, as well as increasing the number of economic immigrants provided with a visa to 20,000 per year, representing an incredible opportunity to grow our economy and offer opportunity to more of the globally disadvantaged.

The Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products will be ratified by my government, in pursuit of stamping out illegitimate enterprise and improving public health by removing dangerous tobacco products from the market.

My government will seek, sign, and ratify a free trade and free movement with Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, recognising the distinct shared identities of these nations and the economic opportunities such an agreement will unlock. Further, my government will maintain current levels of defence spending to ensure New Zealanders are safe at home and abroad, and that our defence force remains able to combat global threats like terrorism.

We will seek to maintain our position as a leader within the Pacific nations by ensuring our Pacific allies and partners receive an equitable and reasonable amount of foreign aid.

A fundamental principle of my government will be equitable and efficient justice. As such, my government will completely uphold the successful three-strikes law that has reduced violent crime across the nation, fund a major expansion to prison re-education programs to ensure that the incarcerated have the best chance of turning their life around following their time in prison, and reward prisoners who successfully complete literacy and driver licensing programs with reduced sentences.

As well, my government will take action on food supply tampering by implementing harsh penalties, including fines and jail time, for those who put public health at risk by meddling with our food supply. My government will repeal the reckless Harmful Digital Communications Act while ensuring reasonable clauses of it are moved to other acts to eliminate potential implications. Additionally, my government will take action on the gender pay gap by streamlining and reducing red tape for gender pay parity cases.

Rural regions and their residents will be given the weight they deserve at the cabinet table through our policies that will grow rural New Zealand’s economy and guarantee economic security for generations to come. These will include a vast reformation of fishing in New Zealand by expanding digital monitoring of commercial fishing activity, the legislating of parity between commercial and recreational fishers, and the establishment of a representative fishing body.

A counselling service for rural New Zealanders will be established under my government, with the goal of informing New Zealanders how land succession and farming agreements work. My government will combat rural monetary crime by requiring traceable payments for farming vehicles. As well, my government will oppose any attempt to reintroduce the disastrous policy of Supply Management for any farming industry, recognising that free trade is the best policy for growing the farming industry in New Zealand.

A brand new Biotechnology Innovation Fund will be established by my government with the focus of moving farming and rural technology in New Zealand into the twenty first century, while making these technological improvements attainable for every farmer, not just the large commercial farmers. Similar, my government will establish a Plant Breeding Investment Fund that invests in the further development of plant breeding practices and technology within New Zealand. In addition, my government will legislate power parity between Biosecurity Agents and Customs Agents.

My government will take unprecedented action to reform the Social Security system in New Zealand by implementing cashless welfare schemes for long-time recipients of these programs. For those who are on Jobseeker Benefit for more than three years, seventy-five percent of the assistance will be quarantined onto a cashless welfare card, for those who are on Sole Parent Support for more than five years, seventy-five percent of the assistance will be quarantined onto a cashless welfare card, and benefits for any additional dependents while receiving Sole Parent Support will be provided exclusively on a cashless welfare card.

We will further reform and ensure the sustainability of Superannuation in New Zealand by amending the gradual increase in eligibility to sixty-seven to December 24th, 2024. Likewise, we will ensure fairness for current recipients of Superannuations and current payees into Superannuation by changing the eligibility for permanent residents to at least 20 years of work in New Zealand.

Distinguished members, this Speech from the Throne only begins to touch on the policy my government plans to implement during this term. Without any doubt, this is a fresh but familiar direction for our government and our nation. We will uphold the values of fiscal responsibility, fairness and equity, evidence-based policy, and personal freedom with everything we do in government.

It is an honour to be able to implement this clear agenda of reform and responsibility, and my government will never stop working to maintain the trust and support of all New Zealanders.