The Government’s 100-day plan was supposed to feel like a vaccination, one quick prick and it’s over

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon with David Seymour and Winston Peter alongside him at Waitangi Treaty Grounds last month. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Opinion

Editorial

The Government’s 100-day plan - and what it accomplished in its first 100 days - was supposed to be like getting an immunisation: one quick prick and it’s over.

But for many New Zealanders, this approach is more akin to a sticking plaster super-glued on a sore and no matter how hard you pulled it, the plaster remained as waves of pain just kept coming ad nauseam.

To be fair, this three-headed Government of National-Act and NZ First did exactly what it said it was going to do back in November in its first 100 days in office. So there should be no surprises for those who read what those changes would look like.

But to the most vulnerable communities who appear to be at the mercy of the 100-day torture, it’s how the bombardment of razor gang cuts was carried out. It is the cavalier-style arrogance that has got offside with “average Kiwis”.

The majority of New Zealanders voted for change. Change from Labour.

But many perhaps didn’t realise the can of worms this would open to a coalition of distinctively powerful personalities, who wanted their time to shine over each of their party’s input into the coalition bottom line deal. That would go some way towards appeasing their constituents.

We know National-Act and NZ First wanted the Māori Health Authority scrapped, tick, they agreed on the derailing of the Auckland Light Rail project, tick, the Three Waters money tap was turned off, tick, but the Smokefree Legislation repeal and programmes like the free lunch programme which is under review were not big coalition bottom lines.

The reality is, now that the machete has hacked through Labour’s wasteful spending, where does that leave New Zealand communities?

News that Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was taking $52k of taxpayers’ money to live in his own apartment - which he has since cancelled following the bad publicity - has had to fly on Air New Zealand to Australia for meetings, or can’t live in Premier House because it needs major renovations, are not the most important issues New Zealanders should waste their time mulling over.

New Zealanders want to know what this Government is doing about the cost of living, getting our kids back to school, addressing crime and equitable health outcomes.

Everything else is just noise because what we really want to know is what’s the plan for the next 100 days of this Government.