Since coming into Government in 2017, we’ve worked hard to tackle the long term challenges facing New Zealand, and we’re proud of the progress we’ve made on the big issues like child poverty, housing and climate change.
However, we know there’s more to do. That’s why we’re committed to building on our progress so together, we grow a strong economy that gives security to all. Read more about our priorities.
Here are just some of our achievements so far.
Updated 19 May 2022.
Introduced a new short term cost of living payment for 2.1 million Kiwis, to help with higher grocery and power bills
Over 190,000 Kiwis supported to upskill with our trades training and apprenticeship programme
Helping more than one million New Zealanders stay warm over the colder months through the Winter Energy Payment
Made Matariki a public holiday
Increased the minimum wage to $21.20 per hour
Delivered more than 12,500 public and transitional homes, as part of our plan to deliver more than 18,000 extra places by 2024
Recorded improvements across all nine child poverty measures
Banned single-use plastic bags to protect our environment
Extended fuel tax cut and half-price public transport fees, as the war in Ukraine drives up fuel prices globally
Fast-tracking key development and infrastructure projects to help get New Zealand moving
Made visiting the doctor cheaper or free for nearly 600,000 New Zealanders
Taking mental health seriously, with the biggest investment in mental health of any Budget, ever
Extended paid parental leave from 18 to 26 weeks
Providing healthy, free school lunches to more than 200,000 students across the country, with 45 million lunches already served
Delivering more paramedics, ambulances and emergency helicopters, so people can get urgent care when they need it
Passed the landmark Zero Carbon Act, with a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050
Upgrading almost every state school in the country through the School Investment Package
Making sure New Zealand history is taught in all schools and kura by 2023
Permanently halving the price of public transport for Kiwis on low incomes
Removed fees from NCEA and NZ Scholarship
Progressing major reforms to the health system to make healthcare accessible for all New Zealanders
Launched the Best Start payment, supporting parents with the costs of a newborn
Going hard against gangs and organised crime networks, seizing significant amounts of drugs, firearms and assets
Upgrading New Zealand’s water infrastructure, to keep our drinking water safe and beaches clean
Launched a new Cancer Action Plan and made the largest ever direct investment in new radiation machines
Secured a historic free trade agreement with the UK, which sees a boost of almost $1 billion to New Zealand’s GDP and unprecedented access for our exporters
Rebuilding our health system, with around 24 construction projects due to be completed this year
Responsible management of government books to keep a lid on debt and invest in our recovery
Restored the right to vote for all eligible prisoners serving less than three years
Taking action to protect threatened indigenous freshwater fish
Boosted aid for our Pacific neighbours to help tackle COVID-19 and rebuild communities and economies
Funding thousands more places in out of school care (OSCAR), to help low-income parents get to work or training
Backing community-based renewable energy projects, making it easier for communities across New Zealand to go green
Improving rural broadband connectivity, with 310 new mobile towers complete
Extended the bright-line test to 10 years, to dampen speculative demand and tilt the balance towards first home buyers
Introduced new regulations to strengthen our animal welfare system
Helping more than one million New Zealanders stay warm over colder months through the Winter Energy Payment
Boosted funding for air and road ambulances
Pursuing ambitious trade policy to help New Zealand businesses succeed overseas
Replacing upper Waikeria prison with a modern design, including a 100-bed mental health and addiction facility
Ramped up pest control and eradication to help make Aotearoa predator-free by 2050
Delivered pay equity for teacher aides
Scrapping the outdated decile system, and providing extra funding to the schools they need it most
Delivered the largest ever Police workforce
Warmer Kiwi Homes has delivered almost 80,000 insulation and heating installs in low-income homes since 2018, ensuring more low-income families have healthy homes and reduced power bills
Made the biggest ever investment in family violence and sexual violence support services
Expanding mental health support in schools across the country through the rollout of Mana Ake
Provided the largest funding boost for the Department of Conservation since 2002
Established a $300 million venture capital fund to back Kiwi innovation
Partnering with rural sectors to develop better support for mental health needs
Helping to drive the increased participation of women and girls in sport
Supported our aviation sector to keep freight flowing during and post-COVID
Delivered the largest increase in abatement levels in over two decades, increasing the amount beneficiaries can earn before their benefit reduces
Established the Climate Change Commission to provide independent advice on climate action
Launching a new Affordable Housing Fund, to deliver affordable rentals to support families in areas facing the biggest housing challenges
Boosting funding to Tupu Aotearoa to support thousands of Pāsifika people into employment, training and education
Lifted abatement thresholds so people on a benefit who are working can keep more of what they earn
Provided interest-free and low-interest loans to help more than 115,000 businesses stay afloat during COVID
Put in place a new tax rate on the top 2% of earners to make sure all Kiwis are doing their bit
Rolling out more than 3,300 kilometres of road safety upgrades through the Safe Network Programme to help save lives
Declared a climate emergency to accelerate efforts to reduce our emissions
Established a new Māori Health Authority to improve health outcomes for Māori
Invested more than $120 million to improve recycling infrastructure
Around 80,000 rural homes and businesses with access to improved broadband
Restoring collective bargaining rights for screen sector workers
Protecting people in financial hardship from high-cost loans that could trap them in debt
Making sure our approach to community water fluoridation is based on science and consistent across the country, to prevent tooth decay
Removed abortion from the Crimes Act, to make sure it’s treated as a health issue
Provided significant humanitarian aid to Ukraine
Protected 47% of jobs in New Zealand through at least one of the 2021 wage subsidies
Rolling out the Māori Pathways programme in our prisons, to reduce reoffending and improve outcomes for whānau
Set measures and targets for reducing child poverty, enshrining the former into law
Lifted the cap on gender affirming surgeries and increased funding for them
Brought back government funding for adult night classes, to give New Zealanders more opportunities to keep learning
Improving access to driver licensing testing and training for around 64,000 Kiwis
Expanding Mana in Mahi to help more Kiwis into work
Working to regulate the residential property management sector, to protect both renters and landlords
Boosted funding for Pharmac to ensure more Kiwis can get lifesaving medicines and treatments
Made it easier for Kiwis to buy their first home by stopping foreign speculators from buying houses here and driving up prices
Supporting certificated teachers on the lowest pay in early education and care to move closer to pay parity with their equivalents in kindergartens
Amending the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act, to introduce a new power enabling seizure of assets of those associated with organised crime
Scrapped the sanction cutting benefit income to women who don’t declare the name of their child’s father
Introduced legislation to ban harmful conversion practices
Invested in over 1,700 regional economic development projects worth $4.3 billion
Backing small and medium sized businesses with a new Business Growth Fund
Phasing out hard-to-recycle plastic items like food and drink packaging
Laid the foundations for a new firearms registry so Police get better information on who has what firearms where
Transforming the child care and protection and youth justice systems to improve outcomes for young people
Banning new low- and medium-temperature coal-fired boilers in manufacturing and production
Extending Māori Trades Training to deliver even more work-focused training
Banned unfair letting fees and no-cause tenancy terminations
Acted on recommendations from the Commerce Commission market study into retail fuel to give Kiwis a fairer deal at the pump
Making sure our approach to community water fluoridation is based on science and consistent across the country, to prevent tooth decay
Started planting one billion trees, with more than 349 million already in the ground
Boosted funding for GPs, pharmacies and Pharmac to help ease COVID-related pressures
Passed legislation against conversion practices to protect the rights of our rainbow communities
Supporting kōhanga reo, to ensure kaiako and kaimahi are paid fairly and facilities are in good condition
Rolled out free period products for all student across New Zealand, already 1,996 schools and kura have provided 343,472 students with access to products
Expanding the Pregnancy and Parenting Programme, so more women and whānau can access support for alcohol and drug issues
Reforming and investing in the Family Court to create a system that is safe and responsive to the diverse needs of the people using it
Invested in Te Huia commuter rail service, connecting Waikato and Auckland
Scrapped National Standards, giving teachers more time with students
Rolling out a new frontline mental health service to make getting support easier, and around 2.7 million Kiwis will have access to this integrated care by the end of 2022
Cutting red tape to boost housing supply by changing resource consent rules
Taking action to protect kauri trees from dieback disease
Introduced the Families Package, the biggest boost in household income in a decade for thousands of families
Agreed to strengthen our bilateral cooperation with the EU on emissions trading systems
Funding a major redevelopment of Scott Base, which will create hundreds of jobs and safeguard our presence in Antarctica
Growing Māori-medium and kaupapa Māori education to meet the needs of our ākonga over the long-term
Better supporting Pacific people with new mental health and addiction services in Auckland and Wellington
Removing barriers to getting a driver licence, helping 64,000 Kiwis get on the road and into work
Committed $50 million to helping councils fully decarbonise the public transport bus fleet by 2035
Doubled sick leave entitlements, bringing benefits to both businesses and employees
Restarted contributions to the Super Fund, to help keep superannuation affordable
Made record investments to rebuild our rundown hospitals and health facilities
Expanding mental health support in schools across the country through the roll-out of Mana Ake
Protecting New Zealand’s beef and dairy sectors by working collaboratively to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis
Secured one-way quarantine-free travel arrangements for RSE workers from parts of the Pacific
Launched our Trade Recovery Strategy to support businesses through the disruption of COVID-19 and adapt trade policy
Stopped issuing new offshore oil and gas permits
Overhauling the Emissions Trading Scheme, to more effectively reduce climate-polluting emissions
Supporting drug-checking services to help keep people safe at large festivals and events
Established Te Arawhiti, the Office for Māori Crown Relations, to help make the Crown a better Treaty partner
Created more than 7,190 environmental jobs in our regions through our Jobs for Nature programme
Introduced the Clean Car Discount to help Kiwi families switch to low-emissions vehicles
Cut fuel tax and introduced half-price public transport fees, as the war in Ukraine drives up fuel prices globally
Implemented our Healthy Active Learning programme across more than 300 schools and kura, with a further 500 set to benefit by 2024
Invested in iwi projects through the Provincial Growth Fund, to revitalise our regions
Building new schools and classrooms for 100,000 students
Working to improve kerbside recycling
Released a draft of the primary replacement for the Resource Management Act, bringing us one step closer to a more efficient and effective system
Made a record investment in public transport and walking and cycling improvements
Introduced a Clean Car Import Standard to reduce emissions and Kiwis’ fuel costs
Improving access to driver licensing testing and training for around 64,000 Kiwis
Supporting Te Kīwai Fund, to remove barriers to tamariki and rangatahi Māori in the South Island participating in sport
Supported Air New Zealand to secure and maintain freight links with important markets through COVID
Making sure businesses have access to the skilled workers
Delivered the largest ever funding boost to primary maternity services, so kids can have the best start in life
Supporting even more businesses to transition to greener energy
Introduced measures to stop predatory lending that often impact low income families
Backed New Zealand exporters during COVID, providing on-the-ground support to help them connect with overseas markets
Improved equal pay legislation to give employees in female-dominated occupations a clearer path to pay equity
Made sure families aren’t penalised if parents have an additional child while on benefit
Made the biggest ever investment in family violence and sexual violence support services
Introduced a suite of improvements to family support that will increase the incomes of 346,000 families by an average of $20 a week from April 2022
Helping employers keep and take on new apprentices through Apprenticeship Boost
Indexing Childcare Assistance income thresholds to increases in the average wage, benefiting around 1,000 families
Backed Kiwi research and development innovators and entrepreneurs with a substantial funding boost
Improving broadband connectivity, with 500 more marae connected
Delivered the largest ever funding boost for disability support services
Making a record investment into critical transport infrastructure and services across Auckland
Launched an independent review into Pharmac to ensure it’s working optimally to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders
Continued our commitment to Māori knowledge in science and innovation through Te Pūnaha Hihiko
Established a national energy centre in Taranaki to accelerate the development of new clean energy technologies
Made voting easier by allowing people to enrol to vote on election day
Ramped up pest control programmes to protect farmers and our environment while creating jobs
Investing in climate and agriculture research and science
Almost doubled the number of adult cochlear implants delivered this year
Bringing in new vaping regulations to help smokers quit and stop young people starting
Working with a range of sectors through Industry Transformation Plans, to support Kiwis into skilled positions
Reinstated the Training Incentive Allowance for higher-skill courses, supporting around 16,000 people to retrain
Launched Hōkai Rangi, Corrections’ new operational strategy, to place greater emphasis on wellbeing and the wellbeing of whānau
Delivered more than 22,000 additional student places through new or upgraded classrooms
Extended the pay equity settlement for care and support workers to include mental health and addiction support workers
Made the first year of study fees-free and will have boosted student loans and allowances by $79 a week
Progressing Auckland light rail, a necessary investment to ease congestion and future-proof our biggest city, and bringing forward work on an Additional Waitematā Harbour Crossing
Partnering with small businesses and the rural sectors to develop better support for mental health needs
Supporting more than 10,000 people at risk of or who are experiencing homelessness, through the Aotearoa New Zealand Homelessness Action Plan
Improving outcomes for New Zealanders with disabilities by establishing a new Ministry for Disabled People
Rolling out high quality broadband services to 99.8 percent of the population through Ultra-Fast Broadband, Rural Broadband and related initiatives
Supported more than 3,580 rangatahi into employment, education or training through He Poutama Rangatahi
Improved access to healthy, affordable homes through investing in papakāinga and housing repair programmes
Boosted funding for te reo Māori initiatives in schools while growing the number of reo Māori teachers
Making it easier for transgender, non-binary and intersex people to change their registered sex on birth certificates
Strengthened our national animal tracing system to help stamp out the spread of disease and protect our primary sector
Delivering around 1,000 new homes, repairs to 700 homes, 2,700 additional infrastructure enabled sites and an additional $30 million investment to support Māori housing sector capability
Funding a major redevelopment of Scott Base, which will create hundreds of jobs and safeguard our presence in Antarctica
Committed extra funding to support Pacific nations most vulnerable to the effects of climate change
Supporting more Kiwis into their first homes by lifting price caps for First Home Grants, and removing price caps entirely from the First Home Loan
Launched the successful Opportunities Grow Here campaign to attract more people to vital food and fibre sector jobs
Made renting fairer by reforming the Residential Tenancies Act
Funding more public EV chargers around New Zealand
Strengthened counterterrorism laws, ensuring tools are available to intervene early and prevent harm
Expanded the Flexi-wage initiative to support up to 40,000 people into work
Rolling out the Māori Pathways programme in our prisons, to reduce reoffending and improve outcomes for whānau
Providing healthy, free school lunches to more than 200,000 students across the country, with 45 million lunches already served
Launched the Progressive Home Ownership scheme, which will support between 1,500 and 4,000 whānau to step into home ownership
Helping more businesses switch to greener energy
Delivering around 1,000 new homes, repairs to 700 homes, 2,700 additional infrastructure enabled sites and an additional $30 million investment to support Māori housing sector capability
Overseen a 23% increase in the construction workforce over the past four years
Implementing our Healthy Homes Standards that require all rentals to be safe, warm and dry
$3.8 billion Housing Acceleration Fund is jump-starting housing developments by funding necessary services, like roads and pipes to homes
Supporting a new programme to lead New Zealand’s plant protein sector development
Injected more than $2.1 billion into regional economies through initiatives like the Provincial Growth Fund
Addressing food waste by redirecting food to those in need
Introduced the 105 Police non-emergency number, improving service for the public while taking pressure off 111
Stepping up our fight against rheumatic fever by expanding the Healthy Homes Initiative and funding vaccine development
Developing a shared plan with businesses and investors to ensure New Zealand is well-positioned to produce green hydrogen at scale
Expanded the Oranga Marae programme, supporting both the physical and cultural revitalisation of marae
Indexed main benefits to average wage growth for the first time in New Zealand’s history, to give those most in need a fair go
Replacing all remaining coal boilers in schools with renewable heating sources by 2025, reducing carbon emissions by around 35,400 tonnes over 10 years
Funded the removal of school donations to ease the pressure on Kiwi families
Introduced learning support coordinators in schools to better support up to 300,000 children with diverse learning needs
Strengthened our health workforce by adding more doctors, nurses, midwives and allied health workers
Launched a new digital support service to help small businesses take advantage of e-commerce
Scrapped the need for consents for low-risk building work, such as sleep-outs, sheds and carports
Designing an income insurance scheme to protect those who experience job loss through no fault of their own
Created more than 7,190 environmental jobs in our regions through our Jobs for Nature programme
Funded the refurbishment of 15 electric trains running between Hamilton and Palmerston North
Partnering with iwi to accelerate housing projects
Quadrupling the size of our Green Investment Fund to help accelerate the use of low-emissions technologies across the economy
Boosted funding for suicide prevention and services to support those bereaved by suicide
Made the wellbeing of people and our planet a key part of our economic approach
Upgrading rail, public transport and walking and cycling infrastructure around the country through the New Zealand Upgrade Programme
Banned smoking in cars with children to protect young people
Making it easier for small and medium sized businesses to access finance so they can expand, with a new Business Growth Fund
Rolling out a recovery plan for tourism communities, to re-set the industry on a more sustainable path
Extended nurses in schools to give more young people easy access to healthcare and wellbeing support
Extending the Apprenticeship Boost scheme to support 38,000 apprentices
Increased funding for community law centres
Removed fees from NCEA and NZ Scholarship
Committed to building deeper partnerships with Pacific nations and expanding our Pacific development programme
Building new rail workshops in Dunedin and Christchurch, creating hundreds of local jobs and supporting apprenticeships
Working to secure a free trade agreement with the EU to expand our market opportunities
Advancing the New Zealand Battery Project, examining options to enable a secure, affordable supply of renewable electricity
Putting our Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy into action to help make New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child
Supported more than 3,580 rangatahi into employment, education or training through He Poutama Rangatahi
Rolled out the National Bowel Screening Programme to nearly all DHBs
Implementing Fair Pay Agreements, to improve wages and conditions
Progressed changes to enable councils to write off rates arrears on whenua Māori
Upgrading New Zealand’s water infrastructure, to keep our drinking water safe and beaches clean
Delivered on our promise to better protect security guards’ pay and working conditions
Delivered a highly vaccinated population with more than 4 million New Zealanders vaccinated with two or more doses
More than doubled the funding for Search and Rescue, recreational boating safety and safety awareness to help save lives
Supporting more farmers to reduce on-farm emissions| regions
Supporting businesses to pilot new low emission transport technology
Took more than 60,000 newly prohibited firearms out of circulation through gun buy-backs and police seizures
Repealing and replacing the Resource Management Act to simplify and accelerate planning processes
Introduced a Clean Car Discount to help Kiwi families switch to low-emissions vehicles
Investing in roads, schools and hospitals through the New Zealand Upgrade Programme
Helping more businesses switch to greener energy and cut their operating costs
Upgraded our free trade agreement with China to build on the significant benefits of the existing FTA
Investing $57.3 billion in infrastructure over the next five years to secure our economic recovery
Delivered the strongest ever protections to clean up our rivers and lakes
Introduced a Clean Car Standard to increase the supply of cleaner cars in New Zealand
Strengthened laws for addressing family violence by creating new offences and making victim safety the primary consideration in bail decisions
Increasing the number of Trades Academy places in secondary schools
Delivering targeted nationwide funding to services that provide mental health support to Rainbow young people
Invested more than $8.8 billion in the COVID health response, to save lives
Started upgrading schools and hospitals to ensure they run on clean energy
Made changes to how councils set up local wards to ensure Māori communities have a voice at the table
Restored meal and rest breaks for Kiwi workers and strengthened collective bargaining
Safely reducing the prison population
Invested significantly in rail, public transport and walking and cycling infrastructure
Supporting councils to fully decarbonise the public transport bus fleet by 2035
Supporting the transition to a cleaner agriculture sector with $37 million for integrated farm planning
Boosting funding for all schools to ensure they have the teachers and equipment they need
Making sure all borrowers get the same protections, regardless of where they get their loans
Banned military-style semi-automatic weapons, magazines and parts
Rolling out a recovery plan for tourism communities, focused on the regions that need the most help
Backing creativity and productivity through a $300 million venture capital fund
Boosted funding for Whānau Ora to support more whānau in need
Taking action to protect endangered Māui and Hector’s dolphins
Set up the Suicide Prevention Office to drive action to save lives
Established the independent Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission to provide system-level oversight
Rolled out the funding needed to support communities affected by severe weather events
Delivered record low levels of unemployment
Funded more support for Kiwi kids with complex needs, as well as deaf, hard-of-hearing and low-vision students
Removed abortion from the Crimes Act, to make sure it’s treated as a health issue
Taking action to ensure New Zealanders get a fair deal at the supermarket
Launched reconnecting plan to enable businesses to access skills and provide a clear timeframe for the return of tourists
Boosted funding to help Kiwi growers seize new opportunities and stay ahead of international competitors
Reducing the merchant service fees that banks charge businesses when customers use a credit or debit card to pay
Launched and expanded Mana in Mahi, supporting employers to take on more than 4,700 apprentices
Established Aotearoa ki te Ao, a programme of work designed to support Māori trade opportunities
Phasing out interest deductibility on residential property investments to level the playing field for first home buyers
Making changes to help prevent migrant exploitation, protect migrants and enforce the law
Committed to improving the Holidays Act to provide more certainty for employers and employees
Rolling out free period products to student across New Zealand
Invested significantly in regional economies through initiatives like the Provincial Growth Fund
Making changes to ensure Oranga Tamariki delivers better outcomes for children and families
Delivered a $120 million fund to support Māori communities to fast track vaccinations and prepare for COVID-19 in the community
Made record infrastructure investments to resolve long-term challenges while managing the books responsibly
Over 2.6 million New Zealanders have received their COVID-19 booster vaccination
Backing more initiatives to boost New Zealand’s food and fibre sector workforce
Strengthening New Zealand’s biosecurity system, to support farmers and growers and safeguard Kiwi exports
Led the Christchurch Call, working internationally to eliminate extremist content online
Invested $22.9 billion in saving jobs and businesses through the Wage Subsidy, Resurgence Support Payment and Small Business Cashflow Scheme
Phasing out the export of livestock by sea, to uphold New Zealand’s reputation for high standards of animal welfare
Establishing a new Public Health Agency to ensure we are better equipped to fight future outbreaks and pandemics
Committed to keeping the retirement age at 65
Making sure New Zealand history will be taught in all schools and kura by 2023
Rolling our Te Aorerekura, New Zealand’s first ever national strategy to eliminate family and sexual violence
With the primary sector, launched Fit for a Better World – a roadmap to boost export earnings by $44 billion over the next decade
Launched a new initiative to boost the Māori and Pāsifika midwifery workforce
Re-entered the Pike River Mine drift to help families get closure and justice
Supporting Kāinga Ora to scale up land acquisition and boost housing supply
Fast-tracked the consenting process for the much-needed rebuild of Dunedin Hospital
Made significant business tax changes to reduce cashflow pressure
Responded to the March 15 attack with a raft of initiatives to promote inclusion and safety for all New Zealanders
Extended free doctors’ visits for children to include 13-year-olds, reaching an extra 56,000 young people
Investing significantly in new and existing mental health and addiction facilities
Working with farmers to deliver on a world-first agreement to measure, price and reduce agricultural emissions
Launched Te Aorerekura, New Zealand’s first national strategy and action plan to eliminate family violence and sexual violence