Christopher Luxon's Speech - National’s 100 Day Plan To Secure Our Future

Kia ora and good morning everyone. Thank you all for being here.

In 13 days, New Zealanders will choose the next government. And today, I want to take the time to be straight with you.

This election will be tight. It will come down to the wire. That’s the reality of MMP and it’s the reality of this campaign.

And with just two weeks to go, the choice at this election is becoming clearer and the stakes could not be higher.

We can stick with the plan that’s working with National. Or we can risk it all by going back to the same old Labour Party who made a mess last time, and will make a mess again.

Let me start with National’s Plan.

Three years ago, New Zealanders asked us to fix the basics. To get the economy back on track. Get on top of crime. Get our kids learning again.

And that’s exactly what we’ve been doing.

When we entered office, Labour had left behind the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. Inflation had hit 7.3%. Government spending had run out of control. Families were being squeezed from every direction.

We got stuck in. We got spending under control, and we got inflation back inside the Reserve Bank’s target band. Mortgage rates came down, and that meant real money back in the pockets of hundreds of thousands of Kiwi homeowners.

Then, this year, a war on the other side of the world sent fuel prices soaring. Every one of you has felt that at the pump.

But when the world throws a shock at you, that’s exactly when you want a steady government that’s careful with your money. Just pouring fuel on the fire with billions of dollars of new spending, new borrowing and new taxes is exactly how we got into this mess.

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And because of that careful approach, our economy kept growing. In fact, in the last year, our economy grew faster than Australia, the USA, Canada and the UK.

Exports are booming. Our farmers have been unleashed. Our tourism sector is moving from strength to strength. And manufacturing is on a tear.

Recoveries take time, but our economy has now definitively turned the corner.

On crime, we said we would restore law and order, and we have.

We banned gang patches in public. We put more Police on the beat and gave them more tools to keep you safe. We brought back real consequences for crime.

And again, it’s working. Ram raids have fallen by 85%, youth offending has fallen by 26%, and there are 37,000 fewer victims of violent crime.

That’s thousands of families who haven’t experienced the trauma and heartbreak of uncontrolled violence, thanks to a National Government.

Finally, in our schools, we’ve gone back to basics.

The mobile phones are gone. Every child now gets an hour a day of Reading, an hour a day of Writing, and an hour a day of Maths.

And the way our children and grandchildren are learning is improving in leaps and bounds, with Structured Literacy and Structured Maths.

It’s not radical. And it’s not ideological. It’s common sense. And it’s being delivered by a National-led Government.

It is a volatile world, but I am so excited about New Zealand’s future.

Our economy is growing, the books are back in order, inflation and interest rates are down. 220,000 new jobs are on the way, and more Kiwis are moving back to NZ.

Things haven’t been easy. But the plan is working, and there is more to do.

National’s plan means growing the economy to lift your wages.

National’s plan means paying down debt with no new taxes.

National’s plan means a secure retirement with bigger KiwiSaver balances.

It means 5% deposits for more first home buyers, longer Paid Parental Leave, fairer student loan repayments, and a rates cap.

New roads, more trade deals, staying tough on crime, shorter wait times in hospitals, and a world class education for our kids.

National’s plan means more opportunities for you to get ahead.

And as part of that plan, today I am releasing National’s agenda for our First 100 Days, a series of 26 actions designed to keep growing our economy, keep Kiwis safe, and ensure every child gets the best possible start in life.

It’s not exhaustive, but it’s comprehensive – prioritising areas that are critical to our vision for a smarter, safer, wealthier future for New Zealand.

But this election isn’t just about our plan, it’s about a choice.

So, let’s talk about the risk.

The other choice on offer is the same old Labour.

The same Labour Party that gave us the cost-of-living crisis.

The same Labour Party that presided over falling attendance and falling achievement in our schools.

The same Labour Party that reduced the prison population and gave money to the Mongrel Mob.

Same people. Same ideas. Same instincts. Same mess.

Labour will undo the progress we’ve made on the economy.

Labour has $18 billion of promises with no way to pay for them.

They have nine new taxes, between them and their mates, that Kiwis will be forced to pay.

They will risk your child’s education by removing the mandate for an hour a day each of Reading, Writing and Maths.

Chlöe Swarbrick as Minister of Finance, dictating how much gets spent, how much gets borrowed, and who gets taxed to pay for it.

The Greens and Te Pati Maori crowded around the Cabinet table, campaigning for shorter sentences, fewer people in prison, and more money for the Mongrel Mob.

Just in the last few weeks, we’ve seen Green Party and Te Pāti Māori candidates standing up inside a Mongrel Mob pad, microphone in hand, asking for votes.

And we’ve seen a Labour candidate campaign for votes at a Mongrel Mob fundraiser – only for Chris Hipkins and the Labour Party to pretend that it was just a family get-together.

If you can’t trust Chris Hipkins to come clean on that, how can you trust him when he says he doesn’t have $18 billion of unfunded promises?

How can you trust him when he says he won’t introduce nine new taxes with his mates?

How can you trust him when he says you won’t pay for his reckless spending?

Well, you can’t.

Whether it’s the economy, tax, education, or basic Kiwi values – like backing victims over violent offenders – you can’t trust Chris Hipkins and you can’t trust Labour.

The stakes at this election could not be higher.

In two weeks time, the gangs will be voting for Labour. Who will you be voting for?

You are in the driver’s seat. You can keep taxes low. You can keep an hour a day of Reading, Writing, and Maths. And you can back victims over violent gang members.

But you can only make that happen, with a Party Vote for National.

A Party Vote for National ensures National is the largest party.

A Party Vote for National supports a strong and stable government.

A Party Vote for National means a stronger voice for our National team around the Cabinet table and a stronger role for outstanding Ministers, like Nicola Willis, Erica Stanford, Mark Mitchell, Todd McClay, Paul Goldsmith, Chris Bishop, Simeon Brown and Louise Upston, working hard to drive our country forward.

Meanwhile, Labour and their mates, are counting on you staying at home this election.

I know politics can feel noisy right now. I know a lot of people are tired of the ads and the debates and the arguments. But this one really matters.

The next three years will decide whether we keep building on the positive progress we’ve made, or go backwards.

This election will be decided by the people who make the time to vote, and by the people who don’t.

Don’t wake up on November 8 regretting that you could have voted to stop Labour, but you just didn’t find the time.

Tomorrow, Amanda and I will be casting our party votes early for National. And I’m asking you to join us. Whether it’s at your local school or your community hall, find the time. Bring your family. Bring your neighbours.

Vote to keep the team that’s working.

We’ve done the hard yards together over the last three years. The plan is working. Now is not the time to throw it all away.

Stick with the plan, go to the polls, and Party Vote National.

Thank you.

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