Hon Simon Bridges
National Party Spokesperson for Economic Development
Hon Nathan Guy
National Party Spokesperson for Primary Industries

National’s plan for regional New Zealand

National today released its plan for regional New Zealand and committed to working with regional communities to grow jobs and incomes and tackle challenges, rather than imposing new taxes which will stall the economy and punish hardworking New Zealanders, Simon Bridges and Nathan Guy say.

“New Zealanders now have a very clear choice between two very different visions for New Zealand this election,” Economic Development spokesperson Simon Bridges says.

“National has a plan to keep New Zealand moving forward - a confident plan for a confident and growing country.

“Labour doesn’t have a plan. They want to risk our success through unclear policies and higher taxes, and that’s not good enough.

“New Zealanders have worked too hard. We are a nation of growing opportunities – together we’re creating more jobs, growing family incomes, building new infrastructure and delivering better public services.

“We have been able to do all of that together because of the hard work and enterprise of New Zealanders, backed by National’s clear economic plan.”

National’s six-point plan for regional New Zealand is:

1. Raising family incomes and delivering more jobs

2. Building the infrastructure to support growth in our regions

3. Helping regional businesses to grow

4. Getting government finances in order

5. Investing even more in world-class public services for regional New Zealand

6. And we won’t impose new taxes which will take New Zealand backwards

“Labour wants to hit our regions with new taxes that would slow New Zealand down – a capital gains tax, a water tax, a land tax, a regional fuel tax and an inheritance tax as well as adding farmers to the Emissions Trading Scheme,” Primary Industries spokesperson Nathan Guy says.

“National wants hard-working New Zealanders to keep more of what they earn. Under National someone on the average wage will receive a tax cut of $1000 per year on 1 April –tax cuts Labour has promised to cancel.

“The primary sector is the backbone of our economy and National backs the hard-work and commitment of our farmers and growers.

“We believe in the ability of our rural communities to tackle the tough issues and to get ahead, backed by a Government that supports them. Our primary sector has been doing it for decades and that’s why they are among the most efficient in the world.

“The products of their hard work are sold and savoured around the world and National is committed to ensuring they have even more opportunities to sell their produce to more markets through growing our international trade connections. That’s how you grow regional economies.

“National will work with regional New Zealand and with farmers and growers and we will back them to succeed.”

National’s plan for regional New Zealand is attached, and can be found atwww.national.org/region_plan.

Nationals_plan_for_regional_New_Zealand.pdf

ENDS

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