National Party Platform

Education:

National has long been the champion of quality education in the New Zealand political system. During the course of the ACT-National government, we oversaw significant investment and reform of our education system. We reworked and reintroduced National Standards, ensuring that educational achievement remains high. For the first time in a decade, we published an entirely new school curriculum. We increased teacher salaries between $10,000 and $20,000 each, with every increase tied to living costs. We invested $750m in constructing more high quality classrooms across the country - helping to end the issue of oversized classes. The result of these reforms mean that the standard of education has never been better, with fully staffed schools and reasonably sized classes.

If elected, National will remain a staunch supporter of both National Standards, and our new school curriculum. National will also work to replace the decile system of school funding with a Risk of Not Achieving Index. Schools and services will be funded based on their estimated number of children at greater risk of educational underachievement using this new Risk Index. The Risk Index estimates the likelihood that a child or young person will not achieve NCEA Level 2 based on information about that child’s life. The Risk Index will more accurately estimate a child’s likelihood of underachievement than the decile or equity index of the school or service that child attends. Using this Risk Index, we'll also end upper class welfare in our education system by restoring voluntary school donations in schools with a low risk of not achieving.

National will also expand the Aspire Scholarship programme by an additional $10m, and work to reform it so the money goes towards children who really need it. Aspire Scholarships will be more strictly means-tested, and will be heavily promoted prior to children entering primary or secondary education. We'll also work to reduce barriers to tertiary education by increasing the cap on the weekly student loan for living costs. We'll raise the cap from $231 a week to $280, to reflect high rents in urban areas and the high cost of living. Finally, National will spend $260m on expanding the compulsory Te Reo Māori programme in primary schools to include a compulsory second language option. This will offer students more choice at school, and will work to create a multilingual society that can better converse with each other, and the world.

The National Party will:

Replace the decile system with a new 'Risk of Not Achieving Index' to ensure schools receive the funding they need. This will make clear the needs of schools across New Zealand, especially in low socio-economic areas, and will improve the targeting of education funding to areas that really need it.
Reform and expand the Aspire Scholarship programme by an additional $10m. This will improve the educational opportunity of children from disadvantaged families by paying for their attendance at private schools.
Invest $260m in extending compulsory second language learning to every primary and intermediate school across New Zealand. We’ll prepare Kiwi kids for life in our increasingly globalised society and improve connections with the rest of the world by funding second language learning.
End upper class welfare in our education system by reinstating voluntary donations in schools which are low on the Risk of Not Achieving Index and ensuring that those who can afford to pay their fair share do so.
Raise the student loan living cost cap from $231 a week to $280, in order to remove the biggest barrier to tertiary education. We stand against middle-upper class welfare like free tertiary education as we recognise that the most equitable system is one where the wealthy don’t get a free ride.

Health:

The National Party believes that New Zealand's public health system is the most important service our government provides to its citizens, but it is clear that more must be done to improve the efficiency and quality of service than simple funding increases. Therefore, our primary focus will be to reform the bureaucracy of the ACC and the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000. Firstly, we will complete our reforms of New Zealand's district health board system, by ending elections and reducing the size of the board. This has been a measured proposed many times, but always killed at the margins. We will pass it with your support. The National Party believes that public servants should not be elected, rather they should be chosen based on merit and experience. In conjunction with this, National would also look to redevelop various medical facilities. Last term, we worked with other parties and secured the rebuilding of Dunedin Hospital at a cost of $1.2bn to ensure that all of New Zealand's cities have access to quality healthcare facilities. In the next, we pledge to finish the $535m redevelopment of Christchurch Hospital and will complete the new $78m Grey Base Hospital in Greymouth. Beyond facilities, we want to expand the available treatments to patients and ensure Pharmac is on top of the latest developments.

Last time National were in office, we passed the Private Health Insurance (Rebate and Levy) Act 2018, which provides a means-tested rebate on the cost of private health insurance, and imposed an ACC levy of 1% on high-income earners who do not adopt a policy. This policy has taken strain off the public system, and has meant that more government expenditure goes towards those who can't afford to pay their own way: those using the public system. This election, National is proposing that the rates of rebates are increased to lower barriers to quality private healthcare. This $50m increase in funding would see the lowest bracket rise from a 50% to 60% rebate, the middle bracket from 40% to 50%, and the top bracket from 25% to 30%. With the Private Health Insurance Rebate, Kiwis now have more options with healthcare, and those who choose to spend more are able to get more. Finally, National would put $30m towards funding 200,000 new elective surgeries a year.

The National Party will:

Pass the New Zealand Public Health and Disability (Meritocratic DHB Selection) Amendment Bill to end District Health Board elections and ensure that our public servants are selected based on ability. National believes in delivering a high quality public health service, and that starts with having a qualified and efficient civil service.

Increase the rate at which the cost of private health insurance is subsidised and ensure that subsidies are available when first signing up to a policy. We’ll take strain off the public system by encouraging those who are well-off to use private healthcare, while also ensuring that all Kiwis are able to access health insurance for services not covered by ACC.

Complete the redevelopment of the $463m Acute Services Building and $72m Outpatients facility in Christchurch. We’ll ensure that Christchurch Hospital has the capacity to deal with serious injuries and illnesses by completing the 62,000 sqm building.

Complete the new $78m Grey Base Hospital in Greymouth. We’ll put money towards finishing the construction of Greymouth’s modern hospital facility to guarantee high quality public health services in the largest city on the West Coast.

Fund 200,000 new elective surgeries a year at a cost of $30m. This will reduce waiting times and allow for a wider range of elective surgeries, which improve the health of patients who do not need urgent medical attention.

Investigate opportunities for expanding the tools and drugs covered by Pharmac. New medical technologies and treatments have the potential to deliver better quality of life for people and more effective remedies to disease.

Infrastructure:

One of the key public services that a state must provide to its citizens is infrastructure, and while all the other parties will acknowledge this, we’re the only ones to do it in an efficient manner. The last time the left passed a budget alone, we witnessed the a bloated and wasteful infrastructure policy pass while also leaving many needs for our citizens unmet. Burdensome and regressive regulations remain in place, and we pledge to take those out. With National in government, you can expect to see infrastructure policy which will enhance job-creation and prioritise personal value. We plan to construct six Roads of National Significance and expand connection to cellular networks and broadband, linking our economy both physically and digitally to the world. These roads include the East-West Link in Auckland, the Cambridge to Tirau and Piarere to Kaimai Ranges roads in the Waikato, the Tauranga to Katikati road, and a redevelopment of the Christchurch Northern Motorway and the Christchurch to Ashburton link. We will cut funding to wasteful projects while also aiding greener transportation through both a new Road Pricing Scheme and the development of commuter rail systems. Finally, we’ll remove regressive interventions when it comes to electricity, so all homes can live comfortably without facing steep bills which advantage a few. With the National Party leading on infrastructure, our public services, connectivity, and development goals will deliver the jobs, sustainability, and good living we all deserve.

The National Party will:

Abolish the low fixed charge for energy consumption, a regressive tariff which penalises larger households. Scrapping the low fixed charge will mean that all households will pay the same price to access the electricity grid, and will end the under-heating of homes to avoid paying the higher charge.

Build 6 new Roads of National Significance worth $6bn, in conjunction with the private sector. We’ll ensure that infrastructure spending comes to both our cities and our regions, by constructing modern roadways in Auckland, Waikato, the Bay of Plenty, and Canterbury.

Spend $260m to improve commuter rail in the Auckland and Wellington regions as a way to promote greener and less congestive transport in our urban areas.

Invest $130m more into the Ultra-Fast Broadband rollout to connect 190 more towns. With a much larger investment than the Green-led government, our plan will get regional hubs and rural Kiwis connected to high speed internet services faster.

Put $75m more into the Mobile Black Spot Fund to improve cell phone coverage across New Zealand. We’ll ensure that regional New Zealand and our motorists have access to mobile phone coverage in order to improve communications across the whole country.

Remove all price setting in the Electricity Industry (Small-Scale Renewable Distributed Generation) Amendment Bill. Instead, we’ll allow small-scale producers to band together and negotiate market prices with wholesalers.

End the Ruahine Runner passenger service, a pork-barrel project which is widely regarded to be uneconomical and a waste of taxpayer funds. We’ll ensure that the Manawatu Gorge has a clear route for commuters to travel through.

Implement Road Pricing in Auckland to ensure that those who use roads pay for them during the times with the highest usage. This will help encourage the adoption of alternative, greener transport methods.

Social Development:

The National Party believes that the government should play an important role in protecting our most vulnerable citizens, but that role should be not be unlimited. Welfare should be a means for those going through hard times to get back on their feet, not to remain dependent on the money of the taxpayer. National is deeply sympathetic towards the issues faced by New Zealand's less fortunate, but doesn't believe in excessive welfare programmes which disincentivise work. If re-elected, National would work to update New Zealand's half a century old Social Security Act and in doing so would work to streamline our welfare system by merging different benefits where possible. Moreover, the government should be doing everything to possible to ensure that welfare goes towards those who really need it. We'd take a stand against benefit fraudsters and reinstate benefit sanctions which the Green government abolished.

National would also introduce a Superannuation Reform BIll which would tie the age of entitlement to health expectancy, and which would tie the rate of superannuation payments to the consumer price index rather than wages. This will ensure that our younger generations aren't unfairly burdened by the cost of pensions, and would mean that as productivity increases the cost of superannuation decreases. Finally, National would work to expand the Veteran's Pension to those who suffer a serious or permanent injury while enlisted - currently, only veterans who are deployed on Qualifying Operational Service are eligible.

The National Party will:

Update New Zealand’s ancient social security legislation, which dates all the way back to 1964. We’ll have our social security system fit for purpose as we head towards the 2020s, and we’ll investigate merging a number of different benefits to streamline NZ’s welfare system.

Expand the Veteran’s Pension to those who suffer a serious injury while enlisted. We’ll ensure that our veterans who are injured receive their pension - not just those who are injured while on deployment.

Repeal the Social Support Systems Amendment Bill and reinstate benefit sanctions. Unlike the Green Party, National believes that those who defraud the taxpayer should be punished. Benefit fraudsters take money away from New Zealand’s less fortunate who actually need money, and this government’s destructive abolition of sanctions harms them too.

Introduce a Superannuation Reform bill which will ensure that the age of entitlement is fair, but ensures that the cost of superannuation doesn’t fall on the heads of our younger generations. We’ll tie the age of entitlement to health expectancy, and we’ll only tie the rates of superannuation to the consumer price index - not wages. This will mean that as productivity increases, the cost of superannuation comes down, rather than increasing.

Restore benefits to pre-Green government levels. With our efforts to promote job growth and opportunity, our country will not need to expend so much of its resources towards poverty reduction. The benefits bonanza ends with National in government.