The Prime Minister’s State of the Nation speech today was a buffet of buzzwords with a nasty undertone of cuts to investment in communities and nature, the Green Party said.

“Christopher Luxon is obsessed with cutting, cancelling, and disestablishing things but he has no plan to build, invest, or create a better Aotearoa,” said Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson.

“Every day, Christopher Luxon’s government takes steps backwards instead of fronting up to lay out a vision and a plan to address the true challenges we face as a country.

“The Prime Minister seems fixated on punishing people on the lowest incomes. Harsh sanctions for people on income support will cruelly increase poverty.

“It’s beginning to be clear that by complaining instead of proposing solutions, the new Prime Minister is laying the groundwork for radical right-wing reforms and cuts to core public services, when what Aotearoa needs is investment in the wellbeing of communities, the protection of nature, and climate action.

“The Prime Minister has no plan to tackle the climate crisis and didn’t say the words ‘climate change’ once today, even as this week’s Port Hills fire reminded us of the danger of unchecked climate change.

“He didn’t say the word ‘poverty’, even after new analysis from the Salvation Army highlighted the persistent challenge of making sure everyone has enough to live with decency. Instead, he threatened more cuts to income support for people who need it the most.

“He didn’t mention Te Tiriti o Waitangi, presumably because he knows the social division being sown by his coalition partners is harmful and unpopular.

“We have everything we need in Aotearoa to ensure communities and nature thrive. The Green Party will continue to challenge the coalition government to focus on what’s really important,” Marama Davidson said

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