“For example, I would like to see Kiwibank grow. I would like it to become a disruptive competitor that takes on the big Australian-owned banks.”
She said Kiwibank could not do that without extra capital, and she was keen to explore where that capital might come from.
“Lots of KiwiSaver funds, New Zealand investment funds and New Zealanders themselves are looking for homegrown places to put their money and invest in New Zealand’s future. And we have to strengthen banking competition.
“So let’s have a look at what’s possible. It’s time to explore all the options.”
The comments are a stronger version of her previous comments in response to the Commerce Commission’s recommendation that the Government increase Kiwibank’s access to capital to allow more competition.
Willis had also spoken about the Government’s tax cuts rollout and its spending cuts programme – getting applause when she said the cuts to the public sector and Government programmes had freed up $23 billion over four years. She said those cuts would continue, saying it was a matter of having respect for the taxpayers’ money.
In a question-and-answer session after her speech, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop suggested councils should also have to undertake line-by-line reviews of their spending.
Willis had also set out the “green shoots” in the economy, including the recent easing of inflation.
She said the market was already moving as the big banks started to ease their interest rates ahead of the Reserve Bank’s next decision on the official cash rate in August.
“These are the green shoots of economic recovery”
President Sylvia Wood’s push to get more women into National
Party president Sylvia Wood earlier told the conference the party would not survive unless it could attract and recruit new members – and launched a new measure to try to recruit and mentor more women into the party.
Wood said National was still the largest political party in New Zealand in terms of membership and renewal of existing memberships was critical to that.
“But we will not survive by renewals alone.” She said her mission was expanding the membership and the first initiative was a network to attract more women into the party, to mentor them and to encourage them to stand for Parliament. It would be co-chaired by herself and MP Louise Upston.
National has had trouble lifting the proportion of women in its caucus – it currently has about 32 per cent women, but women struggled to be selected in National’s safe seats last election.
Wood said overall membership also needed to grow.
Membership did not have to be “onerous” but there had to be value in it for people.
She said people joined the party for different reasons, from having input into policy to meeting ministers and attending events.
The party was working on expanding its sector groups and the roles they played.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s main speech will be tomorrow but he gave a brief speech to open the conference, thanking the party’s members for their efforts during the last campaign. He gave a special nod to Willis, his deputy and Finance Minister.
There was also the expected criticism of the last Labour Government and a pat on the back for National’s efforts since then, running through the changes it has made from public sector cuts to roads of national and regional significance to more police on the beat.
