Saying yes to a lot more: MP Vanessa Weenink
The Prime Minister started the Parliamentary year with a speech setting out the Government’s aims.
We’re continuing to focus on driving economic growth – our most important goal. Too many businesses want to hire more Kiwis, invest in their future, yet find themselves stopped by a system that makes it too easy to say no. Every New Zealander deserves to reap the benefits of strong economic growth. This equates to higher incomes, quality public services, stronger local businesses and communities, and the prospect of even better times ahead for their children and grandchildren.
In 2025, we will take action to end the culture of no, whether through Fast Track, comprehensive RMA reform, rewriting health and safety laws, allowing farmers to grow their businesses with much less red tape, or other changes designed to promote more growth and investment. We’ve acted to promote economic growth by signing a trade deal with the United Arab Emirates, eliminating tariffs on 98.5% of our exports.
We’ve also announced the relaxing of visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while in New Zealand. We want to attract more tourists and ‘digital nomads’ to continue boosting our tourism sector and wider economy.
The first 2025 Parliamentary week also saw the start of speed limit reduction. Thirty-eight sections of the state highway network will have speed limit reduction reversals in place by 1 July, including SH75 between Halswell and Little River, which will return to 100kph. I hosted a public meeting in July last year to discuss changes to the speed limit on SH75, and my survey garnered 75% support for the removal of the Halswell to Little River speed restrictions. Our Government wants to make it easier for people and freight to get from A to B as quickly and efficiently as possible, which will help drive economic growth and improved productivity.
The focus is to say yes, a lot more. The Government is getting things done and growing the economy, so that you and your family can get ahead.
