Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Parliament, Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Parliament, Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The Government's 100-day plan will gather pace this week with the introduction of laws setting out its families package and banning foreign speculators from buying existing houses.
A bill legalising medicinal cannabis is scheduled to be introduced next week and resumption of payments to the New Zealand Superannuation Fund isscheduled to take place within a fortnight.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the families package on Thursday would lift thousands of children out of poverty "through a boost to low and middle income earners that fulfils our 100-day plan pledge."
She said she would release the numbers of people affected by the families package on Thursday — after the half yearly opening of the books by Treasury and Grant Robertson's Budget Policy Statement.
Her own legislation requiring targets to be set on child poverty reduction is scheduled to be introduced when Parliament resumes in late January — just inside the end of the 100 days on February 3.
She has written to National leader Bill English seeking cross-party support for the principle of setting targets, but leaving it up to each Government to set their own target.
"I don't want there to be politics in the issue of child poverty." She believed everyone shared the same goal of improving child well-being.
"What I want to see is successive Governments commit to focusing on lifting children out of poverty."
5. Issue an instruction to Housing New Zealand to stop sell-off of state houses.
Likely to happen this year.
6. Begin work to establish the Affordable Housing Authority and begin the KiwiBuild programme.
Work started, more announcements planned by February 3.
7. Legislate to pass the Families Package, including the Winter Fuel Payment, Best Start and increases to Paid Parental Leave, to take effect from 1 July 2018.
Law extending Paid Parental Leave passed November 30, families package bill to be introduced this Thursday.
11. Introduce legislation to set a child poverty reduction target and to change the Public Finance Act so the Budget reports progress on reducing child poverty.
Bill to be introduced when Parliament resumes in late January.
12. Increase the minimum wage to $16.50 an hour, to take effect from 1 April 2018, and introduce legislation to improve fairness in the workplace.
Minimum wage increase approved by cabinet and announced, likely to be signed off by order in council this week; workplace legislation to be introduced when Parliament resumes in late January.
13. Establish the Tax Working Group.
Chairman announced, other members and terms of reference to be confirmed by February 3.
Anna Osborne's husband Milton died in the Pike River Mine disaster. The Pike River Recovery Agency has been set up with a view to re-entry of the mine by March 2019. Photo / Mark Mitchell
14. Establish the Pike River Recovery Agency and assign a responsible Minister.
Minister appointed, cabinet has approved Pike River Recovery Agency with a view to re-entry by March 2019.
15. Set up an inquiry into the abuse of children in state care.
Work under way with announcements on chair and scope of inquiry in January.
16. Hold a Clean Waters Summit on cleaning up rivers and lakes.
Scrapped. It was to have been part of a consultation over a water tax which was scrapped during coalition talks with NZ First.
