New Government, New Policies. Renewed Optimism?
Government policies play a crucial role in the functioning and well-being of our society. Good government policy is essential, especially after the last few years of socially liberal & radical ideology-driven governance. So we’re greatly encouraged by many of the excellent policies agreed upon by the new Coalition Government.
It was hard to select a shortlist of excellent policies, as there are so many. There’s also some policies we don’t agree with (but more on that in a later update). So for now, here’s some of the best policies coming out of the new Coalition Government, which we’ve tried to pick from the different categories…
Some of the best new policies
Education – Refocus the curriculum on academic achievement and not ideology, including the removal and replacement of the gender, sexuality, and relationship-based education guidelines.
Education – Enforce compulsory education and address truancy.
Education – Focus on doing the basics better through emphasising reading, writing, and maths.
Law and Order – Amend the Sentencing Act 2002 and associated legislation to ensure appropriate consequences for criminals, including: Giving priority to the needs of victims and communities over offenders.
Law and Order – Restore Three Strikes legislation, with amendments to tighten the definition of strike offences and ensure some benefit for pleading guilty.
Health – Cut health waiting times by training more doctors, nurses, and midwives, and giving Kiwis access to 13 more cancer treatments.
Health – Ensure proper funding for birthing units and maternity care, including providing for a three day stay for new mothers.
Health – Extend free breast cancer screening for women aged up to 74.
Health – $6 million for the Gumboot Friday/I am Hope charity.
Democracy – Protect freedom of speech by ruling out the introduction of hate speech legislation and stop the Law Commission’s work on hate speech legislation.
Democracy – Issue a Cabinet Office circular to all central government organisations that it is the Government’s expectation that public services should be prioritised on the basis of need, not race, within the first six months of Government.
Democracy – End all Covid-19 vaccine mandates still in operation.
Democracy – Covid-19 Enquiry – a full scale, wide ranging, independent inquiry conducted publicly with local and international experts, into how the Covid pandemic was handled in New Zealand, including covering:
- Use of multiple lockdowns,
- Vaccine procurement and efficacy,
- The social and economic impacts on both regional and national levels, and
- Whether the decisions made, and steps taken, were justified.
Infrastructure – Build infrastructure with 13 new Roads of National Significance and four major public transport upgrades.
Infrastructure – Reverse speed limit reductions where it is safe to do so.
Housing – Establish a priority one category on the social housing waitlist to move families out of emergency housing and into permanent homes faster (thus ending the wasteful and unsuitable motel residencies).
** NOTE – this is not our full list, there are many more excellent policies in the Coalition Agreements. You can comment on our Facebook page with some your own policy “hits and misses”.
In 2024 we will hold the coalition Government to account on the appropriate implementation of these and other pro-family policies.
But this is a good start!
**Note – This post was written by Family First staff writers.
