Housing, workplace and some benefit reforms on the chopping block as centre-right National-led coalition forms government
New Zealand’s centre-right National party is expected to reverse many of the policies brought in by Labour’s Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins.New Zealand’s centre-right National party is expected to reverse many of the policies brought in by Labour’s Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins.The most common and cutting critique of Jacinda Ardern’s Labour government was that it couldn’t get anything done.
But there were serious policy achievements managed by the Labour government, led by Ardern and then Chris Hipkins, which wasThe problem for that legacy is that much of it is on the chopping block of the incoming National-led government.. Less noisy but far more effective were a series of new benefits, welfare increases, and changes to the way welfare was administered.
In housing Ardern’s government made a host of reforms National has promised to undo. Landlords will again be able to evict tenants without cause, deduct their interest payments from their tax bill, and sell their property investment after two years without incurring any tax on the capital gain.
The workplace is the traditional fighting ground of Labour and National, so much of Ardern’s moves here will be reversed. ‘Fair Pay Agreements’ - an attempt to bring sectoral bargaining which would set floors for pay and conditions in certain sectors - is bound for the scrap heap. Ninety day trials of incoming employees will be re-introduced.