Prime Minister John Key outlined his Government's programme for this year in Parliament today.
Key points included:
Tax:
* Closing tax loopholes allowing property investors to avoid paying tax. How this will be done will be announced in the budget.
* Consideration of a "modest" increase in GST, possibly as high as 15 percent. It is currently 12.5 percent.
* Any increase in GST to be balanced by "across-the-board" personal tax rate reductions.
* Ruled out are a land tax, comprehensive capital gains tax or risk-free return method for taxing residential investment properties. * Consideration of how to stop rich families getting Working for Families tax credits.
Public services:
* Continued constraint: "Most agencies will see no additional funding for several years."
* Improvements to management of Crown assets and liabilities.
Science and Innovation:
* Changes to how Crown Research Institutes (CRI) are funded.
* Investments in primary growth partnership to continue.
* Funding for a network of open access food development and commercialisation facilities, investment in the domestic centre for Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research and in the Global Research Alliance, and in Primary Growth Partnership.
* Business research and science capability one area to get boost in budget.
Trade * Continued efforts towards progress towards free trade agreement with the United States through the Trans-Pacific Partnership and for a successful conclusion of the for Doha round of WTO negotiations.
* Push hard for progress on a single economic market with Australia.
Regulation
* Continued regulatory reform including review of existing regulations.
* Holidays Act to be amended.
* Possible legislative changes relating to personal grievance cases.
Resources
* Proposed changes allowing some conservation land to be mined.
* A new Conservation Fund which would get some royalty from mining on Crown land.
* Removal of regulatory barriers to water storage.
* Second phase of resource management reforms.
Capital investment * Measures to promote investment in capital markets including response to Capital Market Development Taskforce report.
* Pursue proposal for New Zealand to become a hub for financial services in the Asia Pacific region.
Infrastructure
* Continued programme of investing in roading and fast broadband.
Defence
* Defence Review and White Paper to be completed this year.
Education
* Implementation of national standards at primary schools.
* Development of a policy on how national standards information is used after concerns about league tables.
* Measures to get those children missing out on early education into it.
* Changes to give secondary students better access to trades training.
* Shake up of tertiary education sector. Areas of concern are courses with high drop out rates and students who fail courses.
Social Services
* Reduced bureaucracy in provision.
* Development of whanau ora policy changing how the Government funds and coordinates social service contracts.
* First stage of whanau ora to be included in budget after the taskforce considering it reports.
Welfare
* Continued reforms including tighter checks on sickness beneficiaries; tougher reapplication for unemployment benefits and getting people on the domestic purposes benefit into work or training.
* A working group to be set up to look at how long-term welfare dependency can be reduced.
Housing
* An advisory group to be set up to look at state house waiting lists and problems of some tenants having bigger houses than they need.
* Changes to Residential Tenancies Act aimed at better management for owners and more security for tenants.
Justice and Law and Order * Pass the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill which includes a three strikes policy.
* Reform of criminal justice system including legal aid, court processes.
* Liquor licensing law reform.
* Implementation of policies targeting youth offenders including boot camps.
* Opening up two prisons to private management.
Health
* Continuation of reforms to reduce duplication across district health boards.
* Continued efforts to deliver more and better elective surgery, cancer care and emergency care.
* Continue home insulation programme.
Treaty of Waitangi * Replace Foreshore and Seabed Act.
* Establish a group to consider constitutional issues.
* Introduce legislation for referendum on MMP.