Labour’s first 100 days

Written By: - Date published: 6:22 pm, September 10th, 2017 - 61 comments
Categories: election 2017, labour, leadership - Tags: , ,

The big announcements at Labour’s rally today:

Taking action in our first 100 days

Labour will hit the ground running in government, with a programme of work across housing, health, education, families, the environment and other priority areas.

  • Make the first year of tertiary education or training fees free from January 1, 2018.
  • Increase student allowances and living cost loans by $50 a week from January 1, 2018.
  • Pass the Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill, requiring all rentals to be warm and dry
  • Ban overseas speculators from buying existing houses
  • Issue an instruction to Housing New Zealand to stop the state house sell-off
  • Begin work to establish the Affordable Housing Authority and begin the KiwiBuild programme
  • Legislate to pass the Families Package, including the Winter Fuel Payment, Best Start and increases to Paid Parental Leave, to take effect from 1 July 2018
  • Set up a Ministerial Inquiry in order to fix our mental health crisis
  • Introduce legislation to make medicinal cannabis available for people with terminal illnesses or in chronic pain
  • Resume contributions to the New Zealand Superannuation Fund to help safeguard the provision of universal superannuation at age 65
  • Introduce legislation to set a child poverty reduction target and to change the Public Finance Act so the Budget reports progress on reducing child poverty
  • Increase the minimum wage to $16.50 an hour, to take effect from 1 April 2018, and introduce legislation to improve fairness in the workplace.
  • Establish the Tax Working Group
  • Establish the Pike River Recovery Agency and assign a responsible Minister
  • Set up an inquiry into the abuse of children in state care
  • Hold a Clean Waters Summit on cleaning up our rivers and lakes
  • Set the zero carbon emissions goal and begin setting up the independent Climate Commission

Likely to attract the most attention:

Labour-led government would ban foreign purchases of New Zealand property ‘by Christmas’, says Ardern
…
At the Labour rally this afternoon, she was welcomed by chants of “Let’s do this” and a performance by a supergroup made up of Fat Freddy’s Drop, the Black Seeds and The Phoenix Foundation and called Stardust – the term applied to Ardern by National leader Bill English.
…
Ardern used her speech to outline what a Labour-led Government would do in its first 100 days.

At the top of the checklist were warmer, drier homes, support for families and students, and new inquiries into systemic and historical issues.

Foreign, non-resident homebuyers would be shut out of the housing market by Christmas through an urgent law change – a move which National says will breach New Zealand’s free trade agreements. …

61 comments on “Labour’s first 100 days ”

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  1. Ad 1
    10 September 2017 at 6:36 pm

    Go the team!

  2. Cinny 2
    10 September 2017 at 7:08 pm

    Yes please and Thank You Labour #LetsDoThis

  3. WILD KATIPO 3
    10 September 2017 at 7:08 pm

    A lot of good stuff there , however , $50.00 isn’t a huge increase for students , though the first year free will be a major positive move , however the $16.50. per hour minimum wage is still pretty miserly. There’s a lot of people who work bloody hard for their minimum wage and its about time many of these cheapskate employers were made to pay up and stop ripping people off.

    Apart from that , things that pertain to housing / foreign speculation should go a long way to cool the heels of the rorters and plunderers.

    Also will be good to get action on Pike River. Finally.

    Action into cleaning up our waterways is sorely needed , – and an inquiry into abused children in state care should clean out a few swamp dwellers.

    So not bad at all.

  4. JanM 4
    10 September 2017 at 7:11 pm

    No wonder John Key was in such a hurry to sell his house – to an overseas buyer, I gather!

  5. simonm 5
    10 September 2017 at 7:34 pm

    “Foreign, non-resident homebuyers would be shut out of the housing market by Christmas through an urgent law change.”

    Finally, hooray!!! Living in Auckland as I do, I know a hell of a lot damage has been done to the country by this already. However, this is an excellent first step on the path to putting it right again.

    “– a move which National says will breach New Zealand’s free trade agreements. …”

    The fucking gall of these arseholes!!! Can’t wait till they’re gone in 2 weeks time.

  6. Ad 6
    10 September 2017 at 7:52 pm

    1,500 in attendance in Wellington.

    How come they got Fat Freddy’s etc, when all we got in Auckland was some chick and a bunch of kids warbling on about their feelings. We were gypped.

    • nzsage 6.1
      10 September 2017 at 9:10 pm

      1500?

      That is a very impressive figure, interesting those numbers have not been reported in the MSM (as far as I can see).

      Maybe they are trying hard not to perpetuate the groundswell of Labour support building any further. Sorry….too late.

      #letsdothis

  7. Incognito 7
    10 September 2017 at 7:56 pm

    No. 4: Ban overseas speculators from buying existing houses.

    I’d like to know more. For example, what’s the definition of an “overseas speculator”? Can they still buy land and then build a house, for example, or simply bank it? Devil in the detail.

    • Steve 7.1
      10 September 2017 at 9:48 pm

      If they buy land.Or even if any kiwi are presently looking to buy land,.Then perhaps it’s wise they would think to only buy into blocks of “bare” land.As it seems (at first glance) there might be “little incentive” in buying any land with native tree’s growing on it already. Iv’e just been busy reading the green party policy on reducing climate pollution. Seems any farmers planting trees may be able to reduce pollution costs by planting tree’s.I see nothing about reducing costs for dairy farmers who have already thought to retain plenty of trees on their dairy farming land. Like some dairy farmer’s, i know of ,here down south, who already run about 100 less head of dairy cattle than they otherwise actually could have done. What will they be wise to quickly do now?.Should they quickly move to cut down these adult tree’s for firewood, like they are able to do. So that they can then plant new tree’s, to replace them, so as to still be able to cash in and cut some pollution costs for themselves also too?

      I see the green party statement also is, what ever we do, We shouldn’t help to allow Winston Peters to get in.Should we have good reason to trust the green party ?

      Ive never ever (before) felt the way i do right at present

      • Incognito 7.1.1
        10 September 2017 at 10:04 pm

        Well, firewood is gonna be very cheap next winter. But seriously, why would a farmer with a small dairy herd need to do this as he/she would have fewer costs to off-set than the much bigger players/polluters? It would only make some sense perhaps if you can trade credits or something …

        • Steve 7.1.1.1
          10 September 2017 at 10:18 pm

          One dairy farmer i have in mind.Must have close to 1000 acre (something like that).They employ more workers than need be, carry one hundred less head of cattle than the farm could support ,if pushed to far limits.A fair amount of mature tree’s have been retained purposely.The farm has been in his family for generations.When winds went through, years back,,and blew mature trees down , the second generation “father” was nearly shedding tears over it (a rugby tough guy type).I’ve known of him to even be upset that he felt he hadn’t heard as many tree frogs as he once used to hear.

          These kind of people may begin to curse themselves.May wish they hadn’t been so stupid as to earn less, employ more than they had need do, and also retained mature native trees

          • Incognito 7.1.1.1.1
            10 September 2017 at 10:30 pm

            I don’t get your comments. Why did they do what they did in the first place? It was a choice and it was a very good one. Why would they now begin to curse themselves? Sorry, but it makes no sense to me.

            • Steve 7.1.1.1.1.1
              10 September 2017 at 10:35 pm

              Well if they had thought to slay all the tree’s on their property (had cut them all down). They would then also have more room to use “to plant” tree’s. The green party policy, is to reward farmers who will be “planting” trees. But not to reward any farmers who have retained mature trees

              • Incognito …
                10 September 2017 at 10:44 pm

                The Green policy is only something written on paper and not implemented by a very long shot.

                You still haven’t explained why they did make those choices in the first place. They were very good choices, then and now, and clearly not motivated by making a buck (greed). Why would they now regret those choices?? It makes no sense whatsoever.

              • Steve …
                10 September 2017 at 10:45 pm

                Once again.Farmers who “plant new” tree’s will likely also be eligible to claim carbon credits too?. Those that have retain mature trees (rather than planting new tree’s) in that case its the government that then gets to claim carbon credits for this

                • Incognito …
                  10 September 2017 at 10:53 pm

                  Sorry, but this seems to be a fixation on rewards and credits!?

                  • Steve …
                    10 September 2017 at 10:56 pm

                    Yeah well perhaps its easy to say it shouldn’t matter?.If its not your own loss involved

                    • Incognito …
                      11 September 2017 at 7:42 am

                      Steve, I tried to engage with you and you’re avoiding the questions and now you just fob me off, don’t you?

                • Pat …
                  10 September 2017 at 11:00 pm

                  I don’t know of the detail of how many of these proposed policies will end up (that is true of all parties proposals, now and in the past…theres always elements of unintended consequences)….i do know that we cannot continue with the failed policies of the past 9 years (or longer depending on your view) and I also know who Im inclined to believe when those policy intentions are announced.
                  But all of that aside the reality is that irrespective of who forms future governments EVERYONE is going to have to adjust to new ways of doing things …and that has always been the case. Sometimes decisions made in the past will be to our advantage and sometimes not..thats true of individuals and communities/regions/countries.
                  Maybe thats why emotion trumps policy.

                  • Steve …
                    10 September 2017 at 11:21 pm

                    Pat i can easily agree with much that you say.However i still don’t see that it really need to be this way . That farmers who had cut down all trees.And likely therefore also ran more cows too.Will also end up being those farmers who’ll be rewarded most., Due to them now also being in a position, that it will mean they’ll also end up being the farmers, with more clear land to use to plant “new” tree’s

                    Its a balls up. And people will need to be wary of this in future.It doesn’t always pay to try doing the right thing (first off)

                    By the way (for everyone’s information). For some reason i’m now unable to even reply to T Bastard , on that other thread. Not that anything i could say to him, would ever be likely to get through.I’m totally over even bothering to ever be discussing anything with T Bastard ever again anyway.Might just as well, have a frigging conversation with a clown

                    Back to my discussion with you. I’m now feeling “very wary” about casting my vote toward anything to do with Green party corner. Iv’e been punished for years, because my land has regeneration trees (government has “even” claimed carbon credits for my active participation in conservation efforts) The green party has not moved to help sort this out for us in the past.Now i still don’t see any policy that might be of any help to me in future either.As yet anyway

                    When all said and done Pat. It comes down, to a matter of feeling like im able to “trust” .

                    I’m still not yet feeling that,as yet anyway. I’m also now extremely wary of throwing caution to the wind, “once again” too

                    • Pat …
                      10 September 2017 at 11:36 pm

                      “that farmers who had cut down all trees.And likely therefore also ran more cows too.Will also end up being those farmers who’ll be rewarded most.,”
                      maybe…maybe not. I would imagine that the lobby groups i.e. FF, will have some input to the workings of many of these policies….if not before certainly if any problems show up…nothing is cast in stone.

                      it is indeed a question of trust, and given some of the rhetoric it is not surprising that many in the rural sector feel under siege, though as i have noted it is unlikely to impact the rhetoric given the rural sectors traditional party support but while Labour (and the Greens) may not rely on the rural vote they are astute enough to realise the part the rural sector plays in supporting the economy and therefore the basis of those things that are important to them.

                      but I reiterate, change is coming for us all…whether we like it or not.

                    • Steve …
                      11 September 2017 at 10:18 am

                      Sorry (Pat …
                      10 September 2017 at 11:36 pm) i am unable to answer your question below Pat (which explain why i’m answering you here). Someone has now also made it, so i’m now unable to answer your last comment to me.The reply button doesn’t show up on your comment.

                      Trust is a mighty important thing Pat. Iv’e been busily doing more research . Im now beginning to really realize how i have not been been keeping my “eye on the ball” enough.Feeling a little ashamed.You see (up until now) i didn’t even realize that Kevin Hague had joined up with Forest and bird after leaving the Greens. The plot thickens. I’m now wondering if its possibly little wonder that Kevin Hague and Metiria Turei’s visit to the coast years back, on a election campaign didn’t eventuate to be of any help to me, in regard the questions i had then personally posed to them. My question in regard to why the government should be claiming carbon credits for regenerating trees on my land which i’m paying high land rates for. I told them back then, that if i were to slay every tree on my land, and sold it all for firewood,and then replanted new native trees, i would then also become eligible to be claiming the carbon credit myself

                      Like iv’e already tried to point out. The situation is a balls up.To put it mildly

                    • Pat …
                      11 September 2017 at 10:28 am

                      no worries about reply tab ,same happens to me…likely something to do with how many comments in a strand, who knows….but back to trees et al….I would hope that an obvious anomaly such as that would be addressed when the policy designed , however having said that human beings are nothing if not flexible and work arounds and loopholes will be looked for and discovered in any system…thats where regulation and enforcement are key.
                      I think I can boil it down to one simple question….is what we have been doing working?…if the answer is yes, then all good…if the answer is no, then we need to change….which parties advocate the status quo and which advocate change?

                    • Steve …
                      11 September 2017 at 10:35 am

                      Ive retained a copy of what i feel is important parts of this thread.(fair use clause). I know see why i should need to be sure to keep my eye on the ball

                    • Pat …
                      11 September 2017 at 10:39 am

                      post script…im not a writer of policy but it seems to me that ALL policy should be written with a clearly stated overriding statement of intended outcomes and ALL decisions and applications MUST take that as the guiding principle…that would appear to me to go a long way to resolving a lot of problems.

                    • Steve …
                      11 September 2017 at 10:58 am

                      Pat (…
                      11 September 2017 at 10:39 am). Sorry cannot answer that comment of yours now either.This was the closest i can get.

                      I agree with you. And most of all, ability “to trust”, powers that be, is possibly “most important” of all

                      Sadly seems too many rather act deceitfully .Over to you Pat.Nice talking with you.I feel, i can kind of tell how your one of those “salt of the earth” type of folk.I love those kind of folk.And i “look up” to them. Thanks Pat .I’ll now leave this conversation there

                      Cheers

                      Steve

    • Craig H 7.2
      10 September 2017 at 11:13 pm

      Overseas speculator is someone who is not a citizen or resident, or actually living in NZ, who buys existing housing stock.

      • Incognito 7.2.1
        11 September 2017 at 7:38 am

        Thanks, but this suggests that any buyer is a speculator!? Words have meanings and to me “speculator” means something different, especially in the context of buying & selling property.

  8. alwyn 8
    10 September 2017 at 8:34 pm

    Are you really quoting was she is planning to do if she does get to be PM?

    The only way you can possibly do this is to crash through a whole string of bills without referring them to Select Committees.
    Even Muldoon at his worst didn’t try and govern like this. I now see why the WSJ was comparing her to Trump. His Executive Orders were exactly what she is apparently proposing.

    I wonder what Geoffrey Palmer will have to say? I think he is a silly old fool but on this subject I do agree with him.
    https://constitutionaotearoa.org.nz/the-conversation/lawmaking/
    The only people who will do well out of this stupidity will be the lawyers.

    • WILD KATIPO 8.1
      10 September 2017 at 9:05 pm

      Why ?… 30 odd years of neo liberal treasonist politicians rammed policy’s through for their own personal gain using Select Committees made up of their own lackeys ,- why cant a politician who wants to reel them in do the same and ram them back ?

      • alwyn 8.1.1
        10 September 2017 at 9:14 pm

        That isn’t a very popular argument on this blog is it?
        Anyone who was to suggest that National doing something was alright would be abused for arguing that it was alright because “They did it too”.

        • WILD KATIPO 8.1.1.1
          10 September 2017 at 9:25 pm

          Ha !… I don’t care who or what party harbours neo liberalism.

          Its all the same old , same old . And that’s the rub, – there’s no dif if its left or right regards neo liberalism. It just so happens that atm , – we are watching them scream and wail as their privileges are going to be pruned back somewhat. And that’s music to the ears.

    • Gristle 8.2
      10 September 2017 at 9:12 pm

      7 of the 17 would require legislation. Most of those 7 would be treated like legislation deriving from budgets ( and we all know that select committees have to report back within 2 months on appropriations.)

      Looks like a full programme through to Christmas. 100 days is tight but entirely possible to initiate the list. Lots of work and a bit of a tail wind needed to hit 1st January.

      Parliament is open for weekend trading!!! I suppose it’s a bit like zero hour contracts (not in the Tod Barclay sense of doing zero hours of work right now: House is open, then MPs are required to attend, sense of things.)

    • Psycho Milt 8.3
      10 September 2017 at 9:36 pm

      The only way you can possibly do this is to crash through a whole string of bills without referring them to Select Committees.

      It certainly would be a shame to see a Labour/Green government ramming its legislative programme through under urgency the way the Key government did. That’s a shit way to run a country and I’d hate to see Labour running NZ in as shit a way as National did. I’d probably have some pretty harsh words for them.

      Right-wingers, though? They’d get to shut the fuck up, unless they could point to a history of protesting when National was doing it.

      • WILD KATIPO 8.3.1
        10 September 2017 at 9:49 pm

        Meh ,… that was just alwyn trying on the usual scaremongering , derailing of the topic and irrelevant garbage. Alwyn knows full well it will be done properly , though does reveal the general panic of the right wing that ‘ there’s gonna be a few changes around here’….

        • Stuart Munro 8.3.1.1
          10 September 2017 at 10:02 pm

          Omnibus bill – housing, free fees, minimum wage, CGT, Pike River, a few anti-poverty add ons – and of course the mandatory feeding of asset thieves to tigers. What’s not to like?

  9. TheBlackKitten 9
    10 September 2017 at 9:35 pm

    And what about all the foreign investors that have already purchased houses? It’s good they are going to be stopped from purchasing but we have got a heck of a lot that already own homes in NZ.

    • WILD KATIPO 9.1
      10 September 2017 at 9:52 pm

      You know ,… there’s actually quite a few options available to a sovereign government to decide what they will do ,… which is exactly the opposite of what the current PM and his party would have us believe…

    • Stuart Munro 9.2
      10 September 2017 at 9:55 pm

      Be good to roll those back too. Give them a reasonable period to sell, after which the govt should take ’em at 80% of GV.

    • Janet 9.3
      10 September 2017 at 9:56 pm

      That’s where the CGT could do a treat.

      I think bringing in a CGT for a period of just 5 years and applying it to all house and land sales, including those held in “trusts” that are resold within 3 years of purchase , would be an excellent way of taxing the speculators that have pushed up the price of houses and land over the last five years. Genuine home owners could sit that one out OK.

  10. Ian 10
    10 September 2017 at 9:44 pm

    I see on the news Jacinda balling her eyes out over the shoes representing suicide victims. If she gets to implement her anti farmer policies the line up of gumboots will give her good reason to cry,because she did it.

    • simonm 10.1
      10 September 2017 at 9:52 pm

      “happy farmer”

      That’s an oxymoron, isn’t it?

    • Pat 10.2
      10 September 2017 at 9:52 pm

      a fair number of those existing shoes have already been red bands….a point I’m sure she is well aware of.

    • WILD KATIPO 10.3
      10 September 2017 at 9:58 pm

      I’m sure things will be worked out between grown business men and women , – unlike many of those 600 pairs of shoes that belonged to young people , who , along with addictions , many of which felt crushed by Nationals punitive and destructive policy’s regarding welfare, training , debt , and the miserable low wages that get them nowhere with the ‘ Rockstar Economy’ and ‘Brighter Future’ bullshit lies we’ve been fed for 9 years.

    • Robert Guyton 10.4
      10 September 2017 at 10:14 pm

      “Bawling”, Ian and “Jacinda, farmer-killer”?

      Desperate, Ian. Despicable too. But mainly, dopey.

    • JanM 10.5
      11 September 2017 at 10:58 am

      Pull yourself together, Ian – Jacinda was born and raised in the heart of the Waikato farming district – she will be fully well aware of the issues farmers face.
      Many of those issues, I might add, are probably the result of following National down the short-sighted route of greed it has taken the farming community, though research to date shows that only a very small percentage of rural suicides have anything to do with business concerns

    • One Anonymous Bloke 10.6
      11 September 2017 at 11:09 am

      Neither Labour nor the Greens nor any other party has expressed any hatred for farmers.

      The only person who expresses hate is Ian. I hope other farmers don’t take him seriously.

  11. silvertuatara 11
    11 September 2017 at 8:38 am

    Caught the last 30 minutes of Larry Williams Newstalk ZB leaders breakfast in which Jacinda Ardern eloquently rebuffed, corrected and informed Mr Williams on many counts of misinformation placed in the public arena about Labours policy and intentions by persons opposed to a change in Government.

    Have to say that the manner in which Jacinda presented herself, with honesty, integrity and humor was uplifting and proof that Jacinda if elected into the position of prime minister on 23 September 2017 will do our country proud, and currently is IMHO by far the most suited person to lead New Zealand down the path of a more fairer and equitable positive future.

    It would be refreshing to have such an inspiring and positive role model championing New Zealand’s and our Pacific Nation’s goals and dream on the world stage…..keeping it positive…..well done Jacinda and the Labour team, supporters and voters.

  12. Et Tu Brute 12
    11 September 2017 at 11:17 am

    I’m neither here nor there on foreign ownership. What concerns me is the legality with our myriad of international agreements. Can anyone point me to where Labour has addressed this issue? Or is this an election promise they’ll have to break come Christmas time? Or are we just going to tighten our belts and bluff our way through legal proceedings?