National Outlines Policy Commitments For Its First 100 Days If It Leads Next Government

A
National led government will implement some of its key
policies in its first 100 days with the intention of
bringing young New Zealanders home, or encouraging them to
stay.

Finance and Economic Growth spokesperson Nicola
Willis said National would legislate and direct five key
commitments as part of its plan to welcome more Kiwis
home.

She said National wanted to make New Zealand the
“most attractive place” for our young people to raise a
family, build a career, start a business, and make a
contribution to our country.

“If re-elected, National
will legislate and direct five key commitments in our first
100 days to make New Zealand more attractive and affordable
for young people to live and work.”

Those five
commitments are:

• Lowering student loan repayment
  rates for Kiwis living in New Zealand so they have more
  take-home pay when they need it most
• Widening access
  to 5 percent deposits for first home buyers so more people
  can overcome the barrier of the standard 20 percent
  deposit
• Extending paid parental leave from 26 weeks
  to 30 weeks within three years so that parents have more
  financial security while caring for their
  baby
• Strengthening KiwiSaver, including a $1500 Baby
  Boost payment and changes to contributions for parents on
  paid parental leave, so people can build bigger savings nest
  eggs to ensure greater financial
  security
• Prioritising and expediting work and
  visitor visas for partners of New Zealand citizens, so Kiwis
  who meet their partners overseas can bring them home when
  they return.

Willis said each commitment had
been fully funded to commence by 1 July 2027 in National’s
fiscal plan. She is promising that where a legislative
change is needed to implement a commitment, National would
pass the legislation in its first 100 days.

The party
also highlighted its tax cuts in 2024, giving average
households with children an extra $78 a fortnight. It comes
after Labour said on Tuesday the typical household is around
$6000 worse off under National.

Willis also said New
Zealand’s lack of a capital gains tax was a “real
competitive advantage over Australia, and we should embrace
that by not introducing one”.

“We want Kiwis living
overseas to be excited about the opportunities New Zealand
presents for them to get ahead and build a more secure
future.

“We are growing faster than the US, the UK,
Canada, and Australia. Exports are up $20 billion, inflation
is down from a 32-year high, and 220,000 new jobs are
expected with wages growing faster than prices.”

She
said it was encouraging to see more Kiwis returning home,
with a 14 percent increase in Kiwis moving back to New
Zealand from Australia last year.

RNZ reported last
month that in the year ended December 2025, official figures
from Statistics New Zealand show 19,000 Kiwis
made the return home from Australia while 47,500
departed.

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