News & Achievements

As a Government, we made it clear to New Zealanders that we’d take meaningful action on climate change, and that’s exactly what we’ve done.

Earlier today, we released our next steps with our Emissions Reduction Plan – which will meet the Climate Commission’s independent science-based emissions reduction targets, and new investments from the Climate Emergency Response Fund.

Today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a major package of reforms to address the immediate skill shortages in New Zealand and speed up our economic growth.

These include an early reopening to the world, a major milestone for international education, and a simplification of immigration settings to ensure New Zealand has the skilled workforce needed to build back better.

Here are the details:

Since the day we came into Government, we’ve worked hard to lift wages and reduce cost pressures facing New Zealanders. But we know the rising cost of living, driven by worldwide inflation and the war in Ukraine, is making things particularly tough right now. That’s why we’ve stepped up our efforts.

Here are just six of the ways we’re supporting New Zealanders:

Our economic recovery is gaining momentum and the latest figures show that the Government’s focus on jobs is working. We’ve delivered a record low unemployment rate as well as a steady fall in the number of New Zealanders receiving a main benefit.

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve worked hard to protect lives and livelihoods – and thanks to these efforts, our economy is now recovering faster than almost anywhere else in the world.

We’re celebrating a big milestone this week – the return of international visitors.

New Zealand is open for business and our tourism destinations are among the world’s best.

We’ve delivered on our commitment to make Matariki a public holiday. It’s a chance for all New Zealanders to celebrate mātauranga Māori, and enjoy a mid-winter holiday with family and friends.

I was a child when the economic reforms of the 1980s and 1990s left many New Zealanders behind.

From today, the majority of New Zealand families, as well as many other households, will have more money in their pockets, thanks to a cost-of-living package designed to ease the pressure on low and middle income Kiwis.