Spring is officially here, and after what has felt like a long and wet winter, I hope you are all enjoying the first signs of warmer weather across the East Coast.
It has been another busy week, with two announcements in particular that I wanted to highlight:
More money in the back pockets of young graduates
National’s Back Pocket Boost for Graduates will reduce compulsory student loan repayments from 12 per cent to 10 per cent from 1 April 2027.
For a graduate earning $75,000, that means around $39 more in their back pocket each fortnight.
At a time when we want more young Kiwis choosing to build their futures here at home, this will give graduates more flexibility as they start their careers.
Free cervical screening for more women
There was also significant news this week for women’s health.
From 1 March 2027, cervical screening will be free for all women aged 25 to 69.
Around 786,000 additional women will become eligible, removing cost as a barrier for many women and helping more people access potentially life-saving screening.
The Government’s new Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan also sets a goal of reducing cervical cancer to fewer than four cases per 100,000 women by 2040
Main announcements from this week:
1. No new taxes under National:
National has committed to introducing no new taxes if re-elected on November 7. (National PR)
2. Government to cap rates
Council rates increases will be capped at 4 per cent as the Government moves to help keep rates affordable for households and businesses. (Beehive PR)
3. Government moves to ban U16s from social media
The Government has introduced the Online Safety Bill, which will ban under-16s from social media and put greater responsibilities on technology companies to protect children online. (Beehive PR)
4. UAE trade agreement delivering the goods
New Zealand goods exports to the UAE are already up seven per cent, to $1.4 billion, in the first year of the New Zealand-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). 1. (Beehive PR)
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