- Rt Hon Christopher Luxon
The coalition Government’s latest Action Plan will have a strong focus on making Kiwis safer and restoring law and order, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced.
“The Government I lead is one of action and we are already making meaningful changes that will keep Kiwis safe in their homes, workplaces and communities.
“The 40 actions in the Q3 plan span the Government’s core priorities to rebuild the economy, deliver better public services and infrastructure, but a significant focus is on restoring law and order.
“This includes passing four laws that will crack down on criminal activity and support offenders to turn their lives around,” Mr Luxon says.
Before the end of the Q3 Action Plan, the Government will have passed laws that will:
- Give Police tough powers to go after gangs by restricting their ability to associate and banning gang patches in public.
- Give Police more power to get guns out of the hands of criminals.
- Increase access to effective rehabilitation for prisoners on remand.
- Improve efficiency in the courts and increase access to justice.
“In addition to these laws coming into effect, the Government will introduce legislation to toughen up sentencing and ensure there are real consequences for crime, while also launching a military-style academy pilot for serious and young offenders.
“We are also taking steps to keep Kiwis safer on our roads and will introduce legislation to enable roadside testing for drug driving.
“Having a clear plan with specific actions and timeframes for delivery creates momentum and drives focus across the government.
“Improving education outcomes remains a key part of the plan. The Q3 plan sees the opening of applications for new or converted charter schools, releasing a draft of new English and Maths curriculum and continuing initiatives to improve school attendance.
“Also prominent in our Q3 agenda are actions to deliver high quality infrastructure that will drive economic growth, boost productivity, and enhance our way of life.
“This includes passing legislation on our Local Water Done Well policy to deliver financially sustainable water services, opening the $1.2 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund, and making Cabinet decisions on sensible changes to the fast-track consenting programme.
“New Zealand has become a country in which it’s too hard to get things done, so it is vital that we take steps to make it easier to deliver long term projects.
“My Government is committed to delivering for New Zealanders which has been demonstrated by the success of the 100-Day Plan and Q2 Action Plan. Kiwis expect us to continue the momentum and I am determined to do so.”
