Business:
Business:
The National Party believes that regulation is necessary to alleviate market externalities, but we recognise that it is inherently bad for business and the economy. Therefore, a balance must be found that considers both the interests of consumers and that furthers economic development. The National Party will work to cut unnecessary regulation, but promote reform where the benefits to the consumer outweigh the cost to the economy. One instance of this is the low fixed charge for energy consumption. The low fixed charge is a daily fee between 30c and $2 to cover the fixed costs of energy consumption, with half going towards the lines company and half towards the retailer. However, the actual fixed costs are typically much higher and this means that energy companies increase the variable charges in order to cover costs. In turn, this affects lower income households which typically have larger families and use more electricity. While well intentioned, the low fixed charge disproportionately affects lower income households and if elected, National would abolish it.
We'll also look to reduce the influence of militant unions on New Zealand society by undoing some of the damaging changes made the Green Party during the previous government. We'll bring back 90 day trials which give employers leeway when hiring inexperienced staff, and we'll oversee the return of the youth wage which will improve employment for younger Kiwis. We'll allow pay deductions for partial industrial action to ensure that employers aren't paying people who aren't doing their job, and we'll ensure that collective agreements are applied fairly. Alongside this, National will once again bring an end to restricted trading days, which reduce the rights of workers and impose tradition on Kiwi businesses and our economy. The New Zealand Business Number will be extended to all Kiwi businesses, not just companies, and will allow for easier identification when conducting business and dealing with the government - thus reducing paperwork. Finally, we'll oversee an increase in funding for our Crown Research Institutes to drive forward Kiwi innovation.
The New Zealand National Party will work to promote efficient government spending alongside lower tax rates in order to grow a more productive economy for New Zealanders. The National Party believes that while reasonable rates of taxation are necessary for good government to function, we should seek to reduce the negative impact they have on everyday New Zealanders. This means reducing the burden government has on the taxpayer by advocating for a lower rates of taxation, and respecting the taxpayer when assessing any proposed changes. We'll cut income taxes by adjusting the middle-income brackets, and we'll work to merge the ACC petrol levy with regular fuel excises in order to simplify New Zealand's taxation system. The ACC petrol levy is an unnecessary complication when the same funding could come from existing fuel excises. If re-elected, National would raise regular fuel excises by 6c per litre and abolish the ability for ACC to set petrol levies, creating a simpler tax system for New Zealand. In addition to this, National would introduce excises on newly-legalised drugs like cannabis or hallucinogenic substances. The sale of cannabis would be taxed at 25% and hallucinogenic substances would be taxed at 40%, which would raise more than $210m annually. We'll also ensure the long term fiscal sustainability of the New Zealand government by establishing an Independent Fiscal Institution as an office of Parliament, which will monitor compliance with budget responsibility rules and long term fiscal strategies.
The National Party knows that in order to have a strong New Zealand and strong regional economies, we need to have a healthy primary sector. The last term saw some of the most crippling and extreme measures taken against our Primary Industries, with the government instituting harsh red tape and restrictions in an irresponsible, ideology-driven way. National provides an alternative to this as we will cut the waste and enable actors in the primary sector to prosper independently of the state’s aid. We will create a regulatory environment which is conducive to entreprenuership and one which promotes the secure production of our primary products going forward. For forestry, we will ensure that we valuate this industry properly so that policy can better be determined in the future. In addition, we will allow more safe mining to occur in the spirit of aiding in the proliferation of persistent, high-paying jobs in the areas which need them most. Finally, we’ll reduce the risks of agriculture by promoting water capture and irrigation projects. With less risk, our farmers will be able to secure the credit they need to adopt more efficient farming methods for the future. Our primary industry policy is one which is based upon letting people be self-reliant, and it’s one which will deliver results instead of cutting the regions down.
National has long been the party of the regions, and recognises the incredibly valuable role rural and regional New Zealanders play in our society. Regional New Zealand contributes heavily to our export and primary industry sectors, and in many ways is the lifeblood of our economy. Under many successive governments, regional New Zealanders have been ignored or even downtrodden. During the Liberal-National government we made progress by founding the Regional Investment Corporation, which administers low interest loans to develop farms, and which offers grants to regional entrepreneurs and infrastructure projects. Following the decision of the Green government to ban mineral and petroleum extraction on 32% of New Zealand's landmass, a serious effort has to be made to ensure the economic and social prosperity of our regions. First, National will boost funding for the Regional Investment Corporation following its merger with the Sustainable Farming Fund. This will work to improve regional infrastructure and will improve economic growth. We'll also work to tackle regional unemployment by establishing a programme to connect secondary students to jobs as they graduate from school. National will also push forward with a partial privatisation of Landcorp, which will open up land to Kiwi farmers to develop and turn a profit on - unlike the government. Finally, we'll boost the Regional Culture & Heritage Fund which will improve cultural infrastructure outside of our big cities and will draw tourists around the country.