We asked political parties about using community and public services to improve the lives of everyone in Aotearoa. These are the questions we sent. When we get responses from the parties, we’ll add them to this page. Will you… Commit to not capping or cutting the numbers of workers in the public service? Reform the research, science and innovation system to provide more stable funding for public good research, and less competition between Crown Research Institutes? Support the implementation of Te Mauri o Rongo – the health charter? Treat home-based care and support as a core part of our public service provision that is delivered publicly not privately? Introduce universal free primary health care, including dental? Make public transport free? Assess the impact of the budget on people’s wellbeing as well as on the government’s books? How will you… Reduce the reliance on contractors and consultants in the public service and build public service capability to do that work? Ensure safe staffing in the health sector? The results are in  Here's what the parties had to say  Question  Greens  Labour  National Act  Te Pati Maori  Reduce the reliance on contractors and consultants in the public service and build public service capability to do that work? We will introduce standardised career progression, pay, community secondment opportunities, and training across the public sector to improve staff retention and skills development, and ensure equal pay for equivalent roles. We will improve training in te Tiriti o Waitangi and te reo Māori for all public servants. Our public service is respected around the world. Its people are motivated by a strong spirit of service to New Zealand. When we became Government, we removed the cap on core public service numbers so that the public service could re-build their in-house capability and invest in permanent and long term staff, rather than spend millions on temporary contractors enable more in-housing of services. We’re committed to returning contractors to pre-COVID-19 levels. We will continue to fund our public sector properly to support that to happen, now that we’re past the temporary increase in contractor and consultant expenditure during COVID-19, with vaccinators and care in the community providers. National will reduce reliance on contractors and consultants in the public service - saving $400 million per year.  We will stop enacting costly and unnecessary restructures and mergers within the public service and will reduce the number of government working groups and task forces.   National will ensure that funding and resources are prioritised towards the frontline where it will have the most impact for New Zealanders.       Will you commit to not capping or cutting the numbers of workers in the public services? Yes  Yes  No. National will continue to support our frontline public service workforce and will focus the public service on delivering measurable outcomes for New Zealanders on the frontline.      No    Will you reform the research, science and innovation system to provide more stable funding for public good research, and less competition between Crown Research Institutes? Yes  Yes  National has already committed to modernising regulation of biotech solutions by ending the effective ban on genetic editing and GM.   We expect to see better co-operation between CRIs and Universities and to put New Zealand’s interests first in decision making.      Will you treat home-based care and support as a core part of our public service provision that is delivered publicly not privately? Yes  No  National will deliver health with public and private providers where health outcomes can be achieved alongside efficient use of taxpayer funds.       Introduce universal free primary health care, including dental? Yes  Free dental for people under 35  No No    Will you make public transport free  Yes  No  No. National will not make public transport free, however, will retain subsidies to regional councils to operate public transport networks.    Public Transport subsidies for Gold Card holders will remain unaffected Regional Councils operating public transport services will continue to be supported to provide concessions for students and young people, consistent with public transport subsidies prior to recent changes in Budget 23.    No    Assess the impact of the budget on people’s wellbeing as well as on the government’s books? Yes  Yes  Yes. Assessing initiatives based on the impact they will have on New Zealanders has been, and will continue to be, standard practice for all governments.         Support the implementation of Te Mauri o Rongo – the health charter? Yes  Yes  National supports a health charter that has the goal of timely access to quality care underpinned by the principle of distributing health resources based firstly on health need.       Ensure safe staffing in the health sector? Yes A strong health system depends on the wellbeing of its healthcare workers.Our vision is of a diverse, sufficient, resilient and collaborative health workforce which is supported to meet patient needs, with appropriate training, skills and expertise. We will:• Ensure that the workforce is properly valued and supported to stay in the job, including Māori who provide essential care for whānau, hapū and iwi • Ensure all healthcare workers have fair wages, and workload and conditions that support their wellbeing and the quality of care of their patients • Increase entrants into health professions, the retention of practitioners in the workforce, and placements for on-the-job learning Yes  Significant progress has already been made to improve our health workforce recruitment and retention over the past year, including 8,000 Nurses registering for the first time in 22/23, increasing medical student places and significant pay rises for Nurses and healthcare assistants. We’ve also changed immigration rules to make New Zealand one of the easiest places in the world for health workers to come to and gain residence. The Te Whatu Ora workforce plan emphasised the need to reduce our reliance on the global market and focus on the domestic and rural pipeline. Progress will take time but we are laying the foundations for change in safe staffing. Increasing the health workforce through recruitment and retention will be priorities for National. We will deliver more nurses and midwives through more competitive immigration settings and paying up to $22,500 of nursing graduates’ student loans in return for working in New Zealand for 5 years.  We will also build a third medical school in Waikato and increase training places at Auckland and Otago medical school.                    

We asked political parties about tax and building a strong revenue base to fund the government. These are the questions we sent. When we get responses from the parties, we’ll add them to this page. Will you… Ensure that public services are sufficiently funded, by increasing the total tax taken?   Reform the tax system so that it is more progressive and that profit is taxed the same way that wages are? The results are in  Here is what the parties had to say  Question  Greens  Labour  National  Ensure that public services are sufficiently funded, by increasing the total tax taken? Yes Yes, we will continue to make sure the public service is sufficiently funded.  This question presents a false dichotomy. National will deliver the quality public services New Zealanders deserve while also delivering tax relief.     To achieve this, National will stop wasteful spending across government; and ensure that funding is prioritised towards the frontline – where it will have the most impact for New Zealanders.     National will grow the economy so that the funding available for public services grows over time.    Reform the tax system so that it is more progressive and that profit is taxed the same way that wages are? Yes  Now is not the time for widespread changes to our tax system. Our focus is on doing what we can to support Kiwi families in a tight global economic environment. The cost of living is the biggest issue facing New Zealanders in this election. Cutting GST from fruit and vegetables and boosting Working for Families will ease the pressure on families as we get through this inflationary cycle. Labour’s 10-point cost of living package also includes free prescriptions, 20 hours free ECE for two-year[1]olds, and free or half price public transport for children and young people – and more to come. National will implement tax cuts to allow hard working Kiwis to keep more of what they earn – almost $40 a week for a family with two average-wage earners, and up to $75 a week to help with child care costs. 

We asked political parties about meeting the Crown’s obligations to Te Tiriti of Waitangi and delivering fairness and justice to Māori. These are the questions we sent. When we get responses from the parties, we’ll add them to this page. Will you?  Ensure Te Aka Whai Ora has the funding it needs to make a meaningful difference to Māori health? Support the ongoing work of Kia Toipoto? How will you Ensure the equitable delivery of public services to Māori?  Ensure that workers are guaranteed good work if public services are jointly delivered or devolved to iwi organisations? Increase Māori workers’ access to good jobs, particularly in the public sector? The results are in  Here's what the parties had to say  Question  Greens  Labour  National Ensure Te Aka Whai Ora has the funding it needs to make a meaningful difference to Māori health? Yes  Yes  National will disestablish the Māori Health Authority. Māori health will be a strategic directorate inside the Ministry of Health. We will focus relentlessly on improving Māori health outcomes and the health outcomes of all New Zealanders. National will devolve as much decision making as possible away from centralised Wellington and closer to the home and the hapu. We believe in localisation not centralisation.   Support the ongoing work of Kia Toipoto? Yes  Yes  The National Party believes that employees in the public service should be treated in a fair and impartial manner, free from discrimination. We will continue work to ensure that employees in the public service are being paid fairly for the work they do in delivering measurable outcomes for New Zealanders on the frontline, irrespective of their gender and ethnic background.   How will you?  Question  Greens  Labour  National Ensure the equitable delivery of public services to Māori?  A strong public and community sector that meets the needs of everyone and upholds te Tiriti o Waitangi is a vital part of a decent society. We will provide better support for public services and support people working in the public sector to understand their obligations under te Tiriti. The Green Party will uphold te Tiriti throughout the approach of the public service, including by funding Māori organisations, iwi, hapū and marae to run community and environmental initiatives that meet the needs and aspirations of Māori. We will support and strengthen these Kaupapa Māori approaches, which are vital in ensuring that the wellbeing of tangata whenua is prioritised and sustained. We are proud of our record in delivering more equitable public services. We set up Te Aka Whai Ora, a significant step towards tino rangatiratanga in health and living up to the Crown’s obligations to Māori. In education, we have walked the talk when funding Māori Education. That has seen money for new teachers and learning resources, investment in property, improved classrooms, new land for kura and much more. In housing, we support by Māori for Māori solutions, like Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga. We will continue our work to deliver public services that work for Māori, in partnership with Māori.  National will focus the public service on delivering measurable results on the frontline for New Zealanders, including Māori, to ensure better health, education, and law and order outcomes.   National believes that all New Zealanders, no matter what ethnic background they come from, should have access to New Zealand’s public services on the same grounds.  National will ensure that the public service meets its obligations to deliver for all New Zealanders in an equitable, fair and impartial manner.  Ensure that workers are guaranteed good work if public services are jointly delivered or devolved to iwi organisations? Everyone has a right to safe, decent, and meaningful work. The Green Party supports strong workplace protections, support unions to bargain for their members to deliver a better working life for all. Where certain public services are devolved to iwi or other community organisations, the pay and conditions of workers are generally the responsibility of those organisations. However, as a government we have worked to lift pay and conditions for all workers. We have increased the minimum wage, introduced fair pay agreements, increased sick leave entitlements and ensured that many public sector contractors are on the living wage. We will always continue to look to improve working conditions for Māori and non-Māori in the public sector and beyond.  National will focus the public service on delivering measurable outcomes for New Zealanders on the frontline. In certain situations, this will mean that the public service will need to work alongside local government, private sector and iwi/ Māori organisations on the frontline to understand the needs of our communities and deliver results in an efficient manner for all New Zealanders.    Increase Māori workers’ access to good jobs, particularly in the public sector? Colonisation and Te Tiriti o Waitangi breaches have caused inequitable systems and vast disparities for Māori. The Green Party will:Support recruitment policies to actively encourage Māori applicants, particularly in the public sectorRequire workplaces to identify and address institutional racism in their recruitment, promotion practices and retention of workers Support Māori-led work and business-related initiatives Support and resource development of the Māori economy Under our government, Māori unemployment rates have been at near record lows and this has been no accident. We have implemented targeted initiatives to improve Māori employment outcomes. Initiatives like the Māori Trades and Training Programme, free apprenticeships, the Māori Employment Action Plan and backing by Māori for Māori employment programmes have seen great results. We want the public sector to represent the people that it serves. That’s why our reform of the Public Service Act included requirements for Public Service leaders and the Commissioner to promote diversity and inclusiveness within their organisations. Since 2016, we have seen an almost doubling of Māori in tiers 1-3 leadership in the public service, there is always more to do but we are starting to see the results of our mahi.  National will be focused on growing the economy to provide better jobs and opportunities for all New Zealanders, including Māori.  

We asked political parties about settling pay equity claims and doing more to close pay gaps. These are the questions we sent. When we get the responses from the parties, we'll add them to this page              Will you… Commit to settling pay equity claims that are currently under way? Ensure sufficient funding to public sector and funded employers to meet pay equity claims? Introduce legislation that provides for both gender and ethnic pay gap transparency? Improve the Equal Pay Act so that it covers discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, disability, sexuality and gender identity? Abolish the Minimum Wage Exemption Scheme? The results are in Here's what the parties had to say  Question  Greens  Labour  National  Commit to settling pay equity claims that are currently under way? Yes  Yes  Labour is the first party to take pay equity seriously and we changed the law to actually allow for pay equity claims to be heard. We have settled a number of pay equity claims in the public sector and are committed to ending sex based discrimination in it No National supports the pay equity process but as these are ongoing negotiations, it would be irresponsible to pre-commit to an outcome.  Ensure sufficient funding to public sector and funded employers to meet pay equity claims? Yes  Yes. Alongside our well-understood obligations when the Crown in the employer, we have established a framework for the oversight and support for pay equity claims in the Funded sector (Funded Framework). The Funded Framework supports employers and claimants in the Funded sector to get advice and support in working their way through a pay equity claim while preserving the rights and responsibilities of their employer/employee relationship. We also recognise that pay equity claims are raising a series of important questions about the delivery and funding of public services which are contracted out. National will progress pay equity claims and of course provide funding for any that are settled.  Introduce legislation that provides for both gender and ethnic pay gap transparency? Yes  Labour will require around 900 entities with over 250 employees to publicly report their gender pay gap, and later those with over 100 workers. Labour is also committed to exploring the inclusion of ethnicity in pay gap reporting, and this work will be undertaken in our next phase of consultation.  National supports the recently announced gender pay gap changes. We do not believe ethnic pay gap reporting should be mandatory.  Improve the Equal Pay Act so that it covers discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, disability, sexuality and gender identity? Yes  Have not announced policy yet National supported the Equal Pay Amendment Act that improved processes for pay equity claims to be raised, progressed and resolved. We believe the current legislation and existing provisions within the Human Rights Act sufficiently address such instances of discrimination.     Abolish the Minimum Wage Exemption Scheme? Yes  Yes by mid 2015  No 

We asked political parties about tackling the threat of climate change. These are the questions we sent. When we get responses from the parties, we’ll add them to this page. How will you… Accelerate the shift to a carbon neutral public service? Ensure a just transition for all workers with access to training, lifelong learning, and support?           The results are in  Here's what the parties have to say  Question  Greens  Labour  National  Accelerate the shift to a carbon neutral public service? We are proud of the efforts made so far to decarbonise the public sector, including the removal of coal boilers from schools and hospitals. More Greens in Government will pick up the speed and scale of climate action, including by fully transitioning the public sector vehicle fleet to electric. The Carbon Neutral Government Programme was set up to accelerate the reduction of emissions within the public sector. The programme’s aim is to make organisations within the public sector carbon neutral from 2025. The immediate priorities are to phase out coal[1]fired boilers, with a focus on removing the largest and most active by the end of 2025. We’re also focused on optimising the size of agencies’ car fleets and purchasing electric vehicles. Labour is on track to remove all coal boilers from hospitals and public schools by 2025, with the wider public sector following soon after. The Carbon Neutral Government Programme will continue to be supported by the State Sector Decarbonisation Fund to invest in low[1]emissions heating, cooling, electric vehicles and energy efficient lighting.  National supports New Zealand’s 2030 emissions targets and the 2050 target for New Zealand to be net Zero. We have already announced policies in our largest emitting sectors, agriculture, and energy. Much of the public sector’s emissions come from energy, keeping the lights on for public services, or fueling government-operated cars. Our policy Electrify NZ will supercharge renewable energy production, meaning our energy and transport sectors will be fueled by wind and solar, not Indonesian coal.  Ensure a just transition for all workers with access to training, lifelong learning, and support? The Green Party will build an inclusive low-carbon Aotearoa that works for everyone. Our climate plan will create thousands of well-paid, meaningful jobs, and provide training opportunities and decent, secure work for people moving out of carbon-intensive industries. We will:Bring together unions, government, employers, iwi and hapū to implement the Equitable Transition Strategy Ensure an equitable transition grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi for Māori working in emissions intensive areas Reform Ōtakaro to operate as a Ministry of Green Works Ensure that workers and unions have a strong voice in transition plans Develop measures to support workers who are made redundant due to industry changes to retrain and match skills development with available jobs We are developing an Equitable Transitions Strategy to make sure that our transition to a low emissions future is fair and inclusive. We know that transitioning towards a low emissions economy represents an opportunity for New Zealand. We need to maintain and strengthen our green credentials if the New Zealand economy is going to prosper. As such, we are focused on creating new industries and employment, transitioning workers and skills, and long-term planning. A well-planned transition will reduce energy costs for businesses and homes, increase energy independence, and create high-wage jobs.  We want to reduce emissions in the cheapest way possible – in a way that still allows people to live their lives, drive their cars and put food on the table for the families.  There is no doubt that climate change will impact the types of work in some industries – that is why having a strong tertiary training sector is so important. National will support our tertiary sector to grow and provide world-class training for the future.  

We asked political parties about improving conditions and wages for workers across Aotearoa. These are the questions we sent. When we get responses from the parties, we’ll add them to this page. Will you… Raise the minimum wage to reflect the Living wage? Ensure the payment of at least the living wage to all public servants and people delivering government- contracted services? Ensure public and community services workers pay keeps pace with the cost of living? Implement the social insurance scheme? Increase the rate of paid parental leave to a living wage? Keep Fair Pay Agreements? Increase funding for Worksafe to achieve the same inspector ratios as Australia? Strengthen union involvement in workplace health and safety? How will you… Address bullying, harassment and psychosocial harm at work? The results are in  Here is what the parties had to say  Question  Greens  Labour  National  Act  Raise the minimum wage to reflect the Living wage? The Green Party will guarantee minimum wage increases at least in line with inflation and ensure the public sector and state funded community sector pays a living wage and requires service contractors to pay staff a living wage We will keep raising the minimum wage and move it closer to the living wage. In tough times, it’s critical to support those who struggle the most to make ends meet. Those on low incomes make impossible trade-offs between food and medical care, dry homes and a pair of shoes. These families need our support now more than ever. We’re a party that cares about workers, and increasing the minimum wage is one of many tools we’re using to support those on low incomes, including the implementation of Fair Pay Agreements, and extending the Living Wage to public service contractors  We will deliver increases to the minimum wage every year we are in office.     Ensure the payment of at least the living wage to all public servants and people delivering government- contracted services? Yes Yes, fixing low pay is a priority for Labour. We are using the levers of central government procurement to drive real and progressive change, starting with contractors in cleaning, catering and security guards. Core Public Service departments and agencies were directed to ensure that contracts for cleaning, catering and security guards signed or renewed after 1 December 2021 paid at least the living wage rate in place at that time. Cleaners, caterers and security guards on Public Service contracts with third parties do valuable work, but are not always paid at levels that allow them a decent standard of living.  Addressing the cost of living crisis is a key priority for a National Government. That means dealing with the drivers of inflation, but it also means supporting higher wages and providing tax relief so all Kiwis can get ahead – including those in the public service.           Implement the social insurance scheme? The Green Party will provide all working people with a right to redundancy pay, and ensure progress on income insurance center's the need for equity for low wage and insecure workers. Yes, in principle. We will need to see a significant improvement in economic conditions before anything is advanced.  No – the last thing New Zealanders need is another tax on their incomes.    Increase the rate of paid parental leave to a living wage? Yes  Since 2017, Labour has increased the maximum Paid Parental Leave entitlements by $170 a week, as well as extending parental leave from 18 weeks to 26 weeks. We know there is still more to do in this space, and have announced our policy to introduce Paid Partners Leave that can be taken concurrently or consecutively with the primary parent There is still more work to be done, but this is a critical first step. No  No  Keep Fair Pay Agreements  Yes  Yes  No    Increase funding for Worksafe to achieve the same inspector ratios as Australia? Yes  Have not announced policy yet  National will announce its workplace relations policy in due course    How will you?  Question  Greens  Labour  National  Address bullying, harassment and psychosocial harm at work?   Everyone has the right to a safe workplace: the Green Party will ratify the International Labour Organisation’s Violence and Harassment Convention against violence at work (ILO 190) and progress reforms to prevent and respond to bullying, harassment, and sexual harassment in the workplace.   In the work context, bullying can be a health and safety issue, an employment issue, and in some cases, a crime. All employers are responsible for providing a safe workplace under the Health and Safety at Work Act. Our government is committed to supporting New Zealanders to feel safe when at work. This Government recently passed changes to increase workers’ access to health and safety representatives, and health and safety committees. We have also invested heavily in mental health services and now have free primary mental health services in Māori and Pacific providers and GP clinics across the country.  Bullying and harassment in the workplace is not acceptable, and employers are responsible for setting their own expectations within the workplace.  New Zealand has one of the most robust employment relations framework in the developed world that provides both employers and employees with the tools to address any workplace disputes including bullying and harassment through multiple mechanisms.  National will ensure that our health and safety, and wider employment relations legislation, remains fit-for-purpose and that such issues continue to be dealt with in the first instance between the employer and employee, and where escalation is required the Employment Relations Authority is a suitably equipped arbiter.  

We asked political parties about making sure everyone has what they need to build their best lives. These are the questions we sent. When we get responses from the parties, we’ll add them to this page. Will you… Remove benefit sanctions as recommended by the Welfare Expert Advisory Group? Increase basic benefit levels and ensure they are maintained at liveable levels? Maintain the age of superannuation eligibility at 65 years? Forgive debt to MSD and revise the supplementary grant system so that people don’t have to get into debt to the government to meet their basic needs? How will you… Address the current inequity between people who have to leave work because of an accident and people who have to leave work because of illness? The results are in  Here's what that parties had to say  Question  Greens  Labour  National  Act  Remove benefit sanctions as recommended by the Welfare Expert Advisory Group? Yes  Have not announced policy yet No    Increase basic benefit levels and ensure they are maintained at liveable levels? Yes  Yes  No  No  Maintain the age of superannuation eligibility at 65 years? Yes  Yes  No  No  Forgive debt to MSD and revise the supplementary grant system so that people don’t have to get into debt to the government to meet their basic needs? Yes  Have not announced policy yet No    How will you?  Question  Greens  Labour  National  Act  Address the current inequity between people who have to leave work because of an accident and people who have to leave work because of illness? The Green Party will transform ACC into an Agency of Comprehensive Care, providing a minimum payment of 80% of the full-time minimum wage for everyone not in paid work because of a health condition or disability. Labour is yet to release its Election Manifesto but, our Government has been committed to supporting and improving working conditions for everyday New Zealanders, despite global economic uncertainty. Our Government also delivered on a key manifesto commitment to help Kiwis and workplaces stay healthy, by doubling employees’ minimum sick leave entitlement to 10 days. Having a healthy and well-rested workforce helps employees and businesses. Studies have suggested that people working while sick are 20 per cent less productive and the healthiest workers are up to three times more productive. National’s priority in health will be to repair the damage done by the Government choosing to prioritise a costly, bureaucratic restructure over delivery on the frontline. Our goal will be to ensure timely access to quality health care for all New Zealanders. The ACC system has been effective for New Zealand. We are open to looking at whether the current settings are appropriate..   

We asked political parties about working with local government to serve the wellbeing of their communities. These are the questions we sent. When we get responses from the parties, we’ll add them to this page. Will you… Retain the four wellbeings in the Local Government Act? How will you… Enable more sustainable forms of local government funding beyond rates? Act on the recommendations of the future for local government review? The results are in Here what the parties have to say  Question  Greens  Labour  National  Retain the four wellbeings in the Local Government Act?   Yes  National’s vision for Local Government will be focused on delivery of core services while ensuring high value for ratepayers. We are open to changes to enhance local government and have announced policy for this. We currently do not have policy to amend this section of the Local Government Act in relation to wellbeing. We are committed to working with Local Government for any potential changes to this Act and working with them, not against them.   How will you enable more sustainable forms of local government funding beyond rates?  Taxation as a share of GDP has increased but local government’s share has stayed at around 2% of GDP despite its increased responsibilities. The Green Party supports greater revenue sharing between central and local government, including allocating a portion of GST to local government. Local authorities need new revenue tools such as targeted environmental taxes, congestion charges, resource rentals, and tourism levies. The recommendations from the Future for Local Government review are a solid basis for working to design a new funding system to help build community wellbeing and tackle complex issues, such as adapting to a changing climate and more extreme weather events. The Future for Local Government review notes the pressure on rates and these recommendations will be considered in due course after the election. More broadly, we have looked to support councils funding to meet our goals of better infrastructure for New Zealanders. Our nearly $1billion infrastructure acceleration fund is supporting councils with new infrastructure such as roading, three waters and flood management – to enable new homes to be built in areas of high housing need. We’re also open to alternative financing and funding tools, like congestion charging but we want to try and reach a bipartisan consensus to create a fair and equitable solution.  National has already announced several policies in this area, our Going for Housing Growth policy contains a $1B fund for Councils who consent houses and our Local Water Done Well policy will ensure Water Services are on stable financial footing and no longer a liability for Councils. These will both improve financial stability for Councils.    How will you act on the recommendations of the future for local government review?  The Green Party largely supports and would act on the Future for Local Government recommendations, particularly those supported across local government. We support:Growing citizen led democracy in communities to enable people to have a more direct involvement in decision-making. Amending the Local Government Act 2002 to recognise local government explicitly as Te Tiriti o Waitangi partner Extending the ability to vote to 16-year-oldsshifting to proportional voting systemshaving the Electoral Commission administer local elections Increasing funding by providing local authorities with new revenue toolsworking with local government to improve resilience to challenges, including natural disasters. We see the Future for Local Government review as an ambitious opportunity to future[1]proof local government and to design a sustainable system that delivers enhanced wellbeing outcomes for all communities. We know that this must be done in a way that ensures Aotearoa's current and future communities continue to thrive. We will respond to the recommendations of the Future of Local Government Review after the election, following the receipt of further input from the local government sector.  National recognises the challenges the Local Government Sector faces and will look closely at the recommendations that address these issues, particularly those of funding and financing. We have made clear that we do not support some recommendations, including the lowering of the voting age or the move to unelected members being appointed to councils.  

We asked political parties about making sure the basic systems and services that our country needs are strong and suitable. These are the questions we sent. When we get responses from the parties, we’ll add them to this page. Will you… Significantly increase funding for state house building to ensure everyone on the public housing register has access to housing that’s accessible, safe, and healthy? Continue with the water services reforms currently under way Invest in improving passenger rail and bus networks? How will you… Address New Zealand’s infrastructure deficit and invest in the infrastructure we’ll need in a changing climate? The results are in  Here's what the parties have to say Question  Greens  Labour  National  Will you significantly increase funding for state house building to ensure everyone on the public housing register has access to housing that’s accessible, safe, and healthy? Yes  Labour is yet to release its Election Manifesto but, we have already increased social housing stock by more than 13,000, while the previous government decreased stock by more than 1,500. We will continue to build on our successful social housing programme. National will fix New Zealand’s housing crisis by unlocking land for housing inside and around our cities, building infrastructure, and making sure communities share in the benefits of growth. A National Government will build more houses by requiring councils to zone for growth, give councils new tools to build infrastructure, and reward communities that go for growth. National’s Going for Housing Growth plan will include housing performance incentives for councils, specifically, a $1 billion fund for Build-for-Growth incentive payments for councils that deliver more new housing – funded by stopping existing programmes like KiwiBuild. National will supercharge social housing by backing community housing providers.    Will you continue with water services reforms currently underway  Yes Yes  No  Invest in improving passenger rail and bus networks?  Yes  Ys  The National Party has announced that we are committed to delivering better public transport infrastructure for New Zealanders. National will deliver a world-class rapid transit network in Auckland, including the Eastern Busway and the Airport to Botany Busway, and will make crucial upgrades to the lower North Island rail network, including infrastructure upgrades and additional four-car tri-mode units. Effective public transport provides commuters with more choice, helping to reduce congestion and travel times.    How will you address New Zealand’s infrastructure deficit and invest in the infrastructure we’ll need in a changing climate? Our climate plan will create thousands of well-paid, meaningful jobs, and provide training opportunities and decent, secure work. We will build resilient infrastructure for drinking water, energy, and food, so that communities have everything they need to support each other when extreme weather comes. We will:Reform Ōtakaro to operate as a Ministry of Green Works Invest in regional development with a focus on sustainable building, regenerative agriculture and horticulture, improving low-carbon infrastructure, and iwi and hapū-led economic activity Ensure the National Planning Framework and spatial planning provides for walkable cities with urban green space, active transport corridors, mixed-use development, watersensitive design, and green infrastructure In addition to our $71 billion infrastructure plan over the next five years, we’ve allocated $6 billion for strategic investments as part of a National Resilience Plan. This investment will initially focus on building back better from the recent weather events. It will also include future proofing road, rail, and local infrastructure wiped out by the extreme weather, as well as telecommunications and electricity transmission infrastructure. We also recently published the Infrastructure Action plan and The National Adaptation Plan which, among other areas, will outline our focus on ensuring that our infrastructure rebuild and new build is resilient in the face of climate change, natural disasters, and increasing extreme weather events.  National will address New Zealand’s infrastructure deficit through:  1. Creating a new National Infrastructure Agency to coordinate public sector investment and partner with the private sector, such as KiwiSaver funds and offshore savings vehicles   2. Using new tools like tolls and value capture to make sure public investment that creates value is leveraged to boost overall investment  3. Partnering with cities and regions through City and Regional Deals  4. Establishing a fast track infrastructure consenting process to reduce costs  5. Developing a 30 year national infrastructure plan.  

Will you?  Make the health system more assessable and equitable?  Will you ensure that Te Aka Wahi Ora has the funding it needs to make a meaningful difference to Māori Health?  Will you make access to doctors and dentists free  Support Health workers Will you pay the living wage to all workers in the health system, whether they work for Te Whatu Ora or the funded sector?  Will you commit to settling Pay Equity Claims? Do you support Te Mauri o Rongo – the health charter, which sets out how the health system is going to care for workers?  How will you ensure safe staffing in the health system?  The results are in Here's what the parties had to say   Question  Green Labour National Act Te Paati Māori* Act Make the Health System more accessible and equitable             Will you ensure Te Aka Whai Ora has the funding it needs to make a meaningful difference to Māori health? Yes Yes No No Yes   Will you make access to doctors and dentists free? Yes Somewhat No No Yes   Support Health workers             Will you pay the living wage to all workers in the health system, whether they work for Te Whatu Ora or the funded sector? Yes Yes No No     Will you commit to settling Pay Equity Claims? Yes Yes No No Yes   Do you support Te Mauri o Rongo – the health charter, which sets out how the health system is going to care for workers? Yes Yes No No     How will you ensure safe-staffing in the health system? • Ensure that the workforce is properly valued and supported to stay in the job, including Māori who provide essential care for whānau, hapū and iwi • Ensure all healthcare workers have fair wages, workload and conditions. • Increase entrants into health professions and placements for on-the-job learning. Significant progress has been made to improve health workforce recruitment and retention last year. The Te Whatu Ora workforce plan emphasised the need to reduce our reliance on immigration and focus on the domestic pipeline. Progress will take time, but we are laying the foundations for change in safe staffing. We will deliver more nurses and midwives through more competitive immigration settings and paying up to $22,500 of nursing graduates’ student loans in return for working in New Zealand for 5 years.  We will also build a third medical school in Waikato and increase training places at medical schools.      Yes. The solution lies in increasing the health workforce to levels to ensure safety. ACT have recently announced a policy to increase the health workforce.   *Did not answer our survey – information from publicly available statements