Luxon's Government to Adjourn Until 2026

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon moved to adjourn the House until October 2, 2026, formally initiating a recess period for the parliamentary body.

Prime Minister Luxon extended his gratitude to various support staff, including cleaners, security personnel, the cabinet office, and interpreters, for their integral contributions.

He specifically recognized coalition partners David Seymour of ACT and Winston Peters of New Zealand First, along with their respective colleagues, commending their collective effort in forming a strong and stable government in the national interest, despite earlier predictions to the contrary.

Luxon asserted that under the previous Labor government, national debt surged from $60 billion to $180 billion.

He contended that this increased spending and debt did not translate into better schools, safer streets, or reduced hospital wait times, but instead resulted in inflation reaching a 32-year high and food prices increasing by 12%.

The current administration is implementing a strategy to cut $1 billion in government spending on consultants and contractors, aiming to reallocate funds to frontline services such as health and education without imposing new taxes.

Significant policy achievements include a free trade agreement with India, spearheaded by Todd McClay, and the reform of the Resource Management Act (RMA) led by Chris Bishop, alongside Nicola Willis's initiative to deliver the first tax relief in 14 years, intended to keep more earnings in Kiwis' pockets.

The administration also rejected the reintroduction of Labor’s rental tax, contrasting its stance of 'no new taxes' with Labor's alleged plan for nine new taxes to fund $18 billion in election promises.

New Zealand's economy is showing strong performance, with record exports up by $20 billion and 22 consecutive months of manufacturing growth.

Tourism has rebounded to pre-COVID levels, while first-home buyers now account for a record 29% of the market, and rent growth is at its lowest point in 25 years.

Despite acknowledging that the past few years have been challenging, Luxon underscored the country's inherent resilience and expressed confidence that adhering to the National Party's long-term economic plan will lead to a prosperous future.

Under the previous Labor government, violent crime reportedly rose by 33%, retail crime doubled, and ram raids quadrupled.

In response, the current administration has implemented policies such as three strikes legislation, tougher sentences, increased police presence, and banning gang patches, resulting in 37,000 fewer victims of serious violent crime and an 85% decrease in ram raids, while doubling police presence on the beat.

Luxon criticized the former education minister's tenure, noting that only 46% of children attended school regularly, and by high school, only 47% achieved proficiency in reading and 23% in mathematics.

Erica Stanford's reforms mandate one hour each of daily reading, writing, and math, along with structured literacy and numeracy, which have reportedly led to 176,000 children returning to regular attendance and students making 12 months of academic progress in just 12 weeks.

The current government has invested a record $34 billion in health this year, contrasting with the previous Labor administration's focus on reorganization rather than patient outcomes.

This investment supports progress in reducing emergency department wait times, accelerating cancer treatment, and increasing elective surgeries, including funding 66 new medicines, 33 of which are specifically for cancer, and boosting doctor training.

He reiterated the core promise of "no new taxes" as a fundamental principle to avoid stifling public aspiration and emphasized key policy priorities including 5% deposits for first-home buyers, paid parental leave, and significant infrastructure development.

The campaign focuses on economic growth, job creation, and tougher law enforcement, aiming to present a vision of a more prosperous and secure New Zealand.