Law and Justice:

The National Party believes strongly in restorative justice, but also believes that with the carrot comes the stick. That's why we've historically stood up to the dangerous measures proposed by the left, such as our partial repeal of the Criminal Justice Reform Act 2018, an Act which increased the Youth Court age to 21. We also believe that there should be harsher sanctions on criminals who breach Extended Supervision Orders, imposed on those who commit serious sexual or violent offences. There is zero reason to be soft on murderers and rapists, and Extended Supervision Orders should be strongly enforced to ensure the safety of the general public. In addition to this, it's clear that there is still an issue with overcrowding in our prisons. Despite changes to our drug and bail laws, New Zealand's prisons do not have sufficient capacity to hold what is necessary - especially not with an increasing population. That's why National would build a 1000 bed prison at Waikeria at a cost of $560m.

However, rehabilitation will always be necessary to ensure that prisons do not breed hardened criminals or reinforce a cycle of crime and poverty. That's why we passed the Corrections (Prisoner Rehabilitation Reform) Amendment Act 2018 in the last parliamentary term, which allows for non-violent prisoners to have time taken off their sentence following the completion of literacy, numeracy or trade qualification programmes. If re-elected, National would work to expand programmes to allow parents in prisons to have extended contact with their children. Having parents in prison not only adversely affects the parent, but it has a substantial impact on the development of their child. An expansion of this programme would aid not just the rehabilitation of the parent, but the mental health of the child also.

Additionally, National would work to protect judicial independence in New Zealand by establishing an independent commission to advise the Governor-General on judicial appointments. Currently, the Attorney-General instructs the Governor-General on who to appoint as judges, having received the advice of experts in the judiciary. While judicial appointments have remained impartial and well advised under this system, there is always a chance for this to change. It is therefore vitally important that we protect the way in which New Zealand's judiciary is appointed. We must also ensure that Parliament does not abuse its powers of judicial dismissal - currently, a Supreme Court Justice can be dismissed by a motion of Parliament due to incapacity or misconduct. Much like the current system of judicial appointments, this can be abused. National would revoke this power from Parliament entirely and instead have the Judicial Conduct Commissioner and Judicial Conduct Panel responsible.

The National Party will:

• Build the 1000 bed Waikeria Prison to reduce pressure on existing corrections facilities.

• Expand programmes for parents in prison to have contact with their children.

• Impose tougher sanctions on criminals breaching Extended Supervision Orders.

• Protect judicial independence by establishing an independent commission for judicial appointments.

Te Ao Māori:

National recognises the importance of Te Tiriti in New Zealand culture and law, and supports the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi which are outlined in legislation. For this reason, we will stand against any move to abolish the Māori Electoral Option, which ensures that Māori have representation in Parliament. Historically, Māori have faced extreme prejudice and discrimination in the laws enacted by Parliament and the actions taken by the government. Māori seats ensure that Māori have a voice, and are able to take a public stand against any action which would harm the rights and well being of Māori. During the Key Government, nearly 50 Māori groups finalised a Deed of Settlement relating to Treaty of Waitangi claims - compared to just 11 under the previous Labour government. National is committed to resolving Treaty of Waitangi claims, and as such would expand the funding of the Office of Treaty Settlements by $20m annually. In addition to this, National remains a firm supporter of compulsory Te Reo Māori in primary schools - it's important that New Zealand works to preserve our native language through measures such as this.

The National Party will:

• Stand against any move to abolish the Māori Electoral Option.

• Invest more into the Office of Treaty Settlements to better process treaty claims.

• Continue to support compulsory Te Reo Māori in primary schools.

Environment:

Climate change and damage to New Zealand's natural environment are both incredibly important issues in 2018. National is committed to meeting international targets of reducing climate change, and supports the Zero Carbon Act. However, while fighting climate change is one of the most important and noble objectives of our time, we should not look to achieve that objective at all costs. Many laudable efforts to halt climate change harm New Zealand's economy, and with that its citizens. Environmental measures should always be balanced with the concerns of other stakeholders to ensure that realistic and effective policies are pursued.

During the Key Government, National established the Sustainable Farming Fund, to reduce the carbon emissions and environmental externalities caused by New Zealand's largest export industry. If re-elected, National would merge the Sustainable Farming Fund with our newly-created Regional Investment Corporation, and would boost its funding by at least $50m. This would work to streamline government bureaucracy, while helping farmers to transition to more environmentally-friendly methods of farming. Additionally, National would ensure that at least half of public sector vehicles are hybrid or electric. This policy would be enacted whenever new public sector vehicles are purchased, and will work towards reducing government carbon emissions.

National would also impose a 50c plastic bag charge on supermarkets and similar retailers, to discourage the use of environmentally-harmful plastics and reduce the pollution of New Zealand's natural environment. This policy stands in contrast with calls to ban plastic bags entirely - this is a kneejerk reaction that does little besides appeasing hardcore environmentalists. In 2015, the British Government implemented a 5p charge on plastic bags and within 3 years, plastic bag usage had dropped by nearly 90%. A charge raises revenue for the government and discourages usage, while not criminalising an act that is not harmful on the individual level.

• Merge the Sustainable Farming Fund with the Regional Investment Corporation and boost its funding.

• Ensure that at least half of our public sector vehicles are hybrid or electric.

• Introduce a mandatory 50c plastic bag charge in supermarkets.

• Investigate introducing more tax breaks to incentivise environmentally-friendly business practices.