Source: New Zealand Labour Party
There’s lots in this year’s Budget, from a cost of living package designed to ease pressure on New Zealanders in the face of global inflation, to a record investment in health for more nurses and more lifesaving medicines.
Labour MPs have been all over the country this week to share with New Zealanders how Budget 2022 will support them, their families, and their communities.
Here’s just a few of week’s highlights:
Cost of living package
We’re providing support in the here-and-now for those facing cost of living pressures, while growing a strong economy that gives security to all.
We’ve introduced a short-term cost of living payment for 2.1 million Kiwis to help more people with their bills. We’ve extended the 25c a litre cut to fuel tax and kept public transport half price for a further two months, and we’re making half price public transport permanent for Community Service Card holders.
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Our largest ever investment in health
This year’s Budget includes the largest-ever increase in Pharmac’s funding to deliver more lifesaving medicines. This comes on top of our previous record investments to provide more treatments for Kiwis. We’re also making sure New Zealanders can get emergency healthcare when they need it, with funding for more paramedics, new ambulances and new emergency choppers around the country.
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To further support Aotearoa’s rainbow communities, we’re investing in a rights-based approach to healthcare for intersex children and young people, improving access to primary care for transgender people, and more.
More classrooms and funding for schools
We’re making sure every child can get a good education, no matter their background, and over the past four years, we’ve started upgrading almost every state school in the county. With Budget 2022, we’re taking the next steps. We’re delivering on our promise to scrap the outdated decile system, investing in more classrooms for schools and kura, and providing local support to make sure young people are in those classrooms and learning.
We’ve continued to build on our record investment in Māori education, so even more rangatahi can have access to education that empowers them.
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Supporting even more Kiwis into homes
We’re helping more Kiwis into homes. We’re lifting price caps for First Home Grants, and removing price caps entirely from the First Home Loan.
We’ve also launched a new Affordable Housing Fund, which will deliver new affordable rentals to support families in areas facing the biggest housing challenges.
Investing in whānau Māori
From Whangārei to Dunedin, Labour’s Māori Caucus have been out and about making sure iwi, hapu, Māori businesses and whānau, know how Budget 2022 will help them.
We’re taking the next steps our plan to makes sure Māori have economic and employment opportunities, a healthcare system that is responsive to whānau needs, access to education that empowers them, and a thriving natural environment.
Securing the wellbeing of Pacific communities
Labour’s Pāsifika Caucus have hit the road to let communities around New Zealand know how Budget 2022 will build on the work we’ve already done to support Pacific peoples in Aotearoa.
We’re supporting more Pacific families into new homes, delivering a Dawn Raids historical account, supporting Pacific health providers to adapt their models of care into the health system, and more.
Backing businesses
We’re making it easier for small and medium sized businesses to expand, with a new Business Growth Fund. This will ensure more businesses can access finance, while helping to grow our economy.
These are just some of the ways Budget 2022 will support New Zealanders while investing in vital services like health and education. The Labour team will continue to visit communities around the country in the coming weeks to chat about Budget and our plan for a secure future, so keep an eye out for upcoming events near you. In the meantime, learn more about what’s in the Budget and what it means for you here.
