Joseph Mooney - MP for Southland
May has brought us some beautiful weather here in the Wakatipu basin. It’s also a big month in politics with this Government’s first Budget being delivered May 30th.
Budget 2024 will focus on rebuilding the economy, restoring law and order and delivering better public services. The first priority will be achieving the best possible outcomes for the money spent on taxpayers behalf.
The Government will deliver on its election promise to provide tax relief with a focus on middle and lower-income workers, increasing the take-home income of 83 percent of New Zealanders over the age of 15, and 95 percent of households.
Working New Zealanders have not seen any changes to personal income rates for 14 years, despite prices being 40 percent higher now than in 2010.
For a median income worker that’s meant the average tax you pay increased from around 15 percent in 2011 to around 21percent today. Meanwhile government spending has ballooned, with costs up 80 percent in just six years.
Our Government intends to rebalance that and let workers keep more money in their pockets.
This Government is also on the side of wealth-creation, innovation, enterprise, and industry. New Zealand and our region face challenges and opportunities as the global economy shifts its weight from the Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific.
We’re also investing for the long term, establishing a new standalone Social Investment Agency from 1 July to power-up social investment and drive positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders.
Government currently invests more than $70 billion every year into well-intentioned social services, but has not seen the outcomes we want for all New Zealanders.
The Social Investment Agency will lead social investment across government using better social science evidence and advances in technology, whilst working with community, non-government and iwi providers to empower kiwis.
I’ve also been excited to see the $67m commitment for structured literacy in schools. This is a great move for all students, including those with neurodiversity.
The goal is simple - improve reading and writing standards for Kiwi kids. Beginning in 2025, all state schools will be teaching reading using the proven structured literacy approach. This involves teaching literacy skills such as spelling, vocabulary expansion, comprehension, and writing. Domestic and international evidence shows this method is the most effective way of equipping children with strong reading skills critical for their futures.
A number of schools in our region already teach structured literacy and have experienced significant improvements in student achievement. We want all children to have this opportunity.
Also in the pre-Budget announcements has been the commitment to Queenstown with our transport upgrades included in the Roads of Regional Significance (RoRs) programme.
This is a Government committed to delivery.
