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New Zealand Labour Party Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by

This is a draft cheat sheet. It is a work in progress and is not finished yet.

Party Basics

The New Zealand Labour Party is a centre­-left political party in New Zealan­d.[4] With its historic rival, the New Zealand National Party, Labour has dominated New Zealand govern­ments since the 1930s.[7] Labour currently promotes a social­-de­moc­ratic platfo­rm.[­2][3] It is a partic­ipant of the intern­ational Progre­ssive Alliance. (So is Social Democratic Party of Finland and Labour UK)
The New Zealand Labour Party was formed in 1916 by various socialist parties and trade unions. It is thus the country's oldest political party still in existence
The party was first in power from 1935 and 1949, when it establ­ished New Zealand's welfare state. It governed most recently from 1999 to 2008 with Helen Clark as party leader and Prime Minister.
According to its 2014 consti­tution, the party accepts "­dem­ocratic social­ist­" princi­ples, includ­ing­:[12] The management of New Zealand's natural resources for the benefit of all, including future genera­tions. Equal access to all social, economic, cultural, political and legal spheres, regardless of wealth or social position. Co-ope­ration as the main governing factor in economic relations, to ensure a just distri­bution of wealth. Universal rights to dignity, self-r­espect and the opport­unity to work. The right to wealth and property, subject to the provisos of regarding people as always more important than property and the obliga­tions of the state to ensure a just distri­bution of wealth. The Treaty of Waitangi as the founding document of New Zealand, and its honouring in the Party, govern­ment, society and the whānau. The promotion of peace and social justice throughout the world by intern­ational co-ope­ration. Equality in human rights regardless of race, sex, marital status, sexual orient­ation, gender identity, age, religious faith, political belief or disabi­lity.

2017 Election

A a general election is held every three years in New Zealand. The 2017 New Zealand general election is scheduled to be held on Saturday 23 September 2017 to determine the membership of the 52nd New Zealand Parlia­ment.
All 120 seats (plus any overhang) in the House of Repres­ent­atives 61 seats needed for a majority
Opinion Polls: National Party (Leader Bill English) Last election 60 seats; 47.04%; Labour Party (leader Andrew Little) Last election 32 seats, 25.13%; Green Party (leader James Shaw / Metiria Turei) 14 seats, 10.70%
Seventeen existing Members of Parliament have announced that they will not stand for re-ele­ction.

Last Election Results

Current Opinion Polls

Campaign Basics

Vision: We call it the Kiwi dream. It’s a home to call our own. Opport­unities for everyone’s kids to succeed, no matter where they live. Security and freedom to make our own choices. Pride in our indepe­ndence and a passion for our enviro­nment. That’s the New Zealand we want and deserve.
Motiva­tion: But the Kiwi dream is slipping away. Jobs are less secure. Houses are harder to buy. Our heartland towns are being neglected. Families are feeling the squeeze. The Kiwi dream depends on New Zealanders owning our own future. But the government is asset stripping the country. Homes bought by specul­ators. Land sold offshore. Public assets being stripped. They’re selling us out with their backroom deals, like SkyCity and the Saudi sheep deal. We’re losing control of our future. We’re being treated like we don’t matter any more. People are telling us Bill English's National Government is arrogant, and it’s out of touch.
We’ll build thousands of affordable homes and crack down on foreign specul­ators. We’ll back our businesses to build a stronger economy that delivers decent work and higher wages. We’ll invest in our regions, so there are jobs and opport­uni­ties. We’ll care for the enviro­nment so we can all enjoy it, now and in the future. We’ll fix the health system by turning National’s years of underf­unding around. We’ll rebuild world-­class schools that help every Kiwi kid dream big and succeed. New Zealand needs new leadership and a new direction. Andrew Little’s Labour will back the Kiwi dream.
 

Announced Policies

Fixing Housing Crisis - Long Drawn out.
1000 more police - Being safe in our homes and safe in our commun­ities is part of the Kiwi dream. Under National, that is under threat. For years, National has under-­funded Police and crime is getting out of control. Since National came to office, population growth and inflation have added a combined 25% to Police costs but Vote Police has risen by just 14%. There are fewer cops on the beat. Since National came to power, the ratio of Police Officers to population has worsened from 1 for every 488 people to 1 for every 528. There are fewer Police Officers today than there were in 2014, even though the population of New Zealand has grown by 200,000 in the past two years. Community police stations have been closed. The result has been a massive increase in crime: burglaries are up 32% since August 2014 – that’s an extra 50 burglaries each day. Assaults are up 8% and thefts up 3%, while robberies are up a staggering 66%. Despite promises of a ‘War on P’, that drug is now more readily available and cheape­r.share on twitter
Light Rail in Auckland - Traffic in Auckland is getting slower and slower. The congestion on our roads is holding back our growth. It is time to invest in Auckland’s infras­tru­cture. Public transport is also stretched with patronage up by a quarter since 2013. Auckland Transport has stated: “Key arterials with major bus routes are already near capacity and will be signif­icantly over capacity in the future, even with the CRL and surface bus improv­ements. If not addressed now, there will be area-s­pecific problems, including the impact of a high number of buses on urban amenity in the medium term, and acute issues on key corridors in the longer term.”
Give unemployed young people a job for six months doing work of public value, so they can gain work experience and avoid long-term unempl­oyment. - Young people are being been left behind by National. 74,000 are not in employ­ment, education or training. There are now 12,000 more people aged under 24 who are unemployed than there were eight years ago. A young person who is not in employ­ment, education or training is more likely to be unemployed for long periods in later life and more likely to have a lower income in the future. The lifetime cost to New Zealand as a whole of a young person being not in employ­ment, education, or training is over $200,000 from lost produc­tivity and income, higher benefit costs and low tax revenue.
Double the Refugee Quota - “Kiwis have been horrified at the images of refugees fleeing Syria and other nations in what is the greatest humani­tarian crisis since the Second World War. As an open and big-he­arted nation we must do our bit to help some of the world’s most vulnerable people. “New Zealand has not lifted its refugee quota in 29 years. Austra­lians take three times the number of refugees per capita that we do. That’s not who we are and it’s not the kind of moral leadership we have been known for. “I know we have issues in New Zealand such as housing, child poverty and health underf­unding that must also be tackled. But for every refugee New Zealand opens its doors to, we are repaid in multiple by the contri­bution they will make to our countr­y.share on twitter
Child Obesity Package - For a country like New Zealand the major drivers are an unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity leading to growing levels of obesity.　 We are now the third most obese nation in the OECD.　 It’s costing us in excess of $700 million a year in health care expend­iture, and lost produc­tiv­ity.　 Next year obesity will overtake tobacco as the leading cause of declining health according to the Ministry of Health.
Dole for Appren­tic­eships - We are removing the cap and extending the eligib­ility to all 18 to 24 year olds not earning or learning. There are currently 72,000 under 25 year olds in New Zealand who are not in employ­ment, education or training (NEET), 11% of this popula­tion. There are almost 12,000 fewer appren­tices in training today than there were in 2007 under Labour.
Young Entrep­reneurs Policy - The Young Entrep­reneurs Plan will allow a small number of smart and innovative young New Zealanders to apply to cash in their three free years of education, instead receiving a start-up business grant, training and a business mentor. Any New Zealander aged 18 to 23 can apply for up to $20,000 to start a new business based on an innovative idea.
Flexible Tax for Business - An entirely flexible voluntary withho­lding tax, to let businesses meet their tax obliga­tions at a rate of their choosing and on their own timetable, rather than the current rigid system of provis­ional tax. Raise the threshold for businesses to pay provis­ional tax from $2500 to $5000.
Working Futures - Labour’s Working Futures Plan provides three years of free post-s­chool education over a person’s lifetime. It can be used for any training, appren­tic­eship or higher education approved by NZQA and can be used for full-time or part-time study. The three years don’t have to be used all at once. For instance, someone could complete a one year polyte­chnic course in their twenties, then a two year design course if they want to retrain later in life.

Budget Respon­sib­ility Rules

In govern­ment, we will judge the success of our policies by improv­ements in the living standards of New Zealan­ders, improv­ements in key enviro­nmental indica­tors, and improv­ements in the economy. Achieving this will require strong, stable Govern­ment, effective fiscal manage­ment, and eviden­ce-­based policy.
1. The Government will deliver a sustai­nable operating surplus across an economic cycle. An OBEGAL surplus indicates the Government is financ­ially discip­lined and building resilience to withstand and adapt to unforeseen events. We expect to be in surplus every year unless there is a signif­icant natural event or a major economic shock or crisis. Our surpluses will exist once our policy objectives have been met, and we will not artifi­cially generate surpluses by underf­unding key public servic­es.s­hare on twitter
2. The Government will reduce the level of Net Core Crown Debt to 20% of GDP within five years of taking office. To give future genera­tions more options, reducing government debt has to be a priority. By setting a target, provided that economic conditions allow, we will be able to make respon­sible debt reductions and invest in housing and infras­tru­cture that strengthen our country and prepare us for future challe­nge­s.share on twitter
3. The Government will prioritise invest­ments to address the long-term financial and sustai­nab­ility challenges facing New Zealand. The Government will prioritise respon­sible invest­ments that enhance the long term wellbeing of New Zealanders - such as restarting contri­butions to the Super Fund. In addition we will invest in infras­tru­cture to support our growing popula­tion, and reduce the long term fiscal and economic risks of climate change.share on twitter
4. The Government will take a prudent approach to ensure expend­iture is phased, contro­lled, and directed to maximise its benefits. The Government will maintain its expend­iture to within the recent historical range of spending to GDP ratio. During the global financial crisis Core Crown spending rose to 34% of GDP. However, for the last 20 years, Core Crown spending has been around 30% of GDP and we will manage our expend­iture carefully to continue this trend.s­hare on twitter
5. The Government will ensure a progre­ssive taxation system that is fair, balanced, and promotes the long-term sustai­nab­ility and produc­tivity of the economy. The Government will ensure a progre­ssive taxation system that is fair, balanced, and promotes the long-term sustai­nab­ility and produc­tivity of the economy.
We expect to be held to account by the people of New Zealand. That is why it’s important to have clear indicators of success, and indepe­ndent oversight.
The credib­ility of our Budget Respon­sib­ility Rules requires a mechanism that makes the government accoun­table. Indepe­ndent oversight will provide the public with confidence that the government is sticking to the rules.
 

Housing Crisis Response

Home ownership is the worst it’s been in 60 years and our young people are increa­singly giving up on the idea of ever owning their own home. Labour backs the Kiwi dream of home ownership. That’s why we will: Build more affordable houses. Crack down on specul­ators. Support those in need.
Establish an Affordable Housing Authority to work with the private sector to cut through red tape and get new homes built fast. These homes will be part of great commun­ities built around parks, shopping centres and transport links.
Build 100,000 affordable homes across the country Labour’s KiwiBuild programme will build 100,000 high quality, affordable homes over 10 years, with 50% of them in Auckland.
Increased house-­bui­lding will require a larger workforce. Labour’s Dole for Appren­tic­eships policy will subsidise employers to take on around 4,000 young people for on the job training in fields including building and constr­uction. Labour’s policy of three years free post-s­chool education will see tens of thousands more people study in all fields, including building and constr­uction. KiwiBuild is projected to create 5,000 new jobs at its peak.
Ban foreign specul­ators from buying existing homes. This will remove from the market foreign specul­ators who are pushing prices out of reach of first home buyers.
Tax property specul­ators who flick houses within five years. Labour will extend the bright line test from the current two years to five years.
Help 5,100 more Kiwis into emergency housing every year Labour will take serious action to end homele­ssness by increasing funding for emergency housing, helping an extra 5,100 people a year. This money will be given to emergency housing providers to purchase or build new accomm­odation and help people get off the streets.
Focus Housing New Zealand on helping people, not making a profit Labour will make Housing New Zealand into a public service rather than an SOE, and will substa­ntially increase the number of state houses. Unlike the current govern­ment, Labour will not milk state housing for a dividend, and will end its programme of state house sales.
Require all rental homes to be warm, dry, and healthy. Andrew Little’s Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill is currently before Parlia­ment. It will set standards that will require all rental properties to meet proper standards in: insula­tion, heating, ventil­ation, draught stopping, and drainage. This will ensure people who live in them don’t get sick.

Housing Facts

This field test has shown that a rental housing WOF is a practical tool that enables assessors to establish in less than an hour whether houses are essent­ially safe and suitable to be occupied.
Substa­ndard housing is a major public health issue in New Zealand.1 According to the Energy Efficiency and Conser­vation Authority (EECA) about two-thirds of NZ dwellings are un-ins­ulated and many are inadeq­uately heated.
The link between cold, damp and mouldy housing and poor health has been highli­ghted in several NZ studie­s.3–5 Recently, a NZ coroner ruled for the first time that cold, damp conditions in a state-­owned rental property could not be discounted as contri­buting to the death of a two-ye­ar-old child.6
Several national surveys and research studies have shown that rental housing in NZ is in worse condition than owner-­occ­upied housin­g.11,12 This situation is mirrored in other countries; in 2012, the English Housing Survey reported that the privat­e-r­ented sector had the highest proportion of non-decent homes (33%) while the social­-rented sector had the lowest (15%). Meanwhile, 20% of English owner-­occ­upied homes failed to meet the decent homes standard in 2012.
NZ has seen a rapid rise in the number of people renting. The number of households living in a home they did not own increased from just over one-qu­arter in 1991 (26.2%) to more than one-third (35.2%) in 2013.1
Of the sample of 144 houses, 94% failed at least one of 31 criteria. The most common reasons were: unsafe water temper­ature; no security stays; no smoke alarms; no fixed heating; and unsuitable handra­ils­/ba­lus­trades. If items that required little (<N­Z$100) or no financial cost were fixed, 44 extra houses (36%) would have passed.
NZ has a poor history of housing regula­tion, so existing houses are often poorly insulated and rental properties are not required to have insulation or heating. Recent legisl­ation changed this.

Andrew Little

I believe in a New Zealand that’s focussed on the future but hasn’t given up on our Kiwi dreams – a home to call your own, time and the freedom to explore our beautiful enviro­nment, commun­ities and families that care for each other. But in the last few years, it’s become harder for Kiwis to get ahead. Our economy has stalled, home ownership is plumme­ting, our enviro­nment is under threat and our health system has been cut to the bone.
Andrew James Little (born 7 May 1965) is a New Zealand politician and former trade union official who was elected as Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party on 18 November 2014. He has been a Labour Member of Parliament since 2011. Previously he was the national secretary of New Zealand's largest trade union, the Engine­ering, Printing and Manufa­cturing Union (EPMU), and he was President of the Labour Party from 2009 to 2011.