Introduction
Thank you for being here this afternoon.
Mr. President, Members of the New Zealand First Party Board, Ministers and Members of Parliament, delegates of New Zealand First nationwide, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Over the past two days we have held our thirty-third annual convention, and it was this exact weekend, in July 1993, when the New Zealand First Party began.
To all those members who began our political party thirty-three years ago, under a First Past the Post electoral system, a genuine sentiment of gratitude to you all.
Over the decades your dedication has remained steadfast, and we have grown to become the most successful new political party in modern New Zealand history.
We salute you here today as the next generation, together with a former one, taking this party forward to new levels of success.
Serious Times Require Experience & Prudent Judgement
The world is in a troubled state, the worst we can remember. And yet, having returned last week from Singapore and Japan, we are hopeful, because our discussions were gripped by how our friends, like us, see opportunity amidst so much turmoil.
We haven’t needed lectures from others to act; no, we’ve been seizing chances to advance New Zealand’s economic and security relationships with energy ever since this term began. Our 80 plus overseas trips have not been to collect passport stamps, but to enhance existing agreements, or create new ones, whether in our region, the Pacific, or in Asia, South America, Europe and the Nordics.
In country after country, we have learned first-hand that they want to do more with us, they too see opportunity, and our job is to make the most of them.
That said, do not underestimate just how disruptive the geo-strategic environment is. It’s a hugely complex and challenging period we are facing. This places an enormous premium on experience, and through experience, good judgements that protect New Zealand’s vital interests.
We take the world as it is, not as some cloistered varsity lecturer or woke leftie wants it to be. The record shows that we have exercised sound judgement when it has mattered most.
With experience comes prudence, and with diplomacy comes opportunity, and that is why we are guardedly optimistic that New Zealand will emerge from the serious global disruptions in a strong position to exploit every opportunity that we create or that comes our way.
And The Time is Now
New Zealand First has always been the greatest challenge to blind ideology, to social elitism, and to the status quo.
We, from the very beginning, have been for one country, one people, one law, one flag, regardless of gender, race, or religion.
We have been for protecting our nation’s sovereignty and national interest, protecting our unique role in the world, protecting our nation’s pride in who we are, where we have come from, and our traditional Kiwi values.
We fight for the hardworking blue-collar Kiwi battler, who just wants the chance to help build a country they are proud of.
We have always been, and always will be, for common sense.
Thirty-three years ago we created this party with a vision. A vision of hope and a heart to fight for the belief of every New Zealander for the chance of a better future for our children and grandchildren.
Our country is not just a place, it is who we are as people.
It is a set of values, stitched together across time. It is never complete – it grows.
It grows into what we, as a New Zealanders, together, chose it to be.
And the question is, ‘what do we want our country to be?’
We can no longer continue to accept the status quo who represent the establishment, who want nothing more than to protect the power they think they have, and maintain the separation of the ordinary kiwi and the elite.
In this election, we have a rare chance to change the shape of parliament for the better, and in doing so, to reshape our country the way you want it.
We can choose to continue down the path we have been on for over forty years, continuing to watch the swing of the pendulum where blue or red just wait long enough and then yell “it’s our turn now’.
Only to then proceed to change very little, apart from continuing to manage the decline.
Or, we can make a choice with our future generations in mind, take back control from the Wellington
Bluesky bubble, take back control from the ‘way it’s always been’, take back control from those who choose to be a CV politician, where they are here one day, run out of gas, and are gone the next – taking with them a rolodex of international job opportunities, speaking circuits, or book tours, looking back over their shoulder at New Zealand’s decline.
New Zealand First, from our launch thirty-three years ago, has been battling that elitist status quo.
No one can deny that. When others wouldn’t raise a finger, we have raised the roof.
We will never give up that fight against the elitest status quo, and this election is where we can turn it on its head.
In November we have the real chance to show the power of MMP. We can move away from what our system used to be and make a real change to how our country is governed and who is representing you in government.
What we are asking you to do, is to give us the tools so we can finish the job.
We cannot fly a microlight to the moon, but if you give us an Artimus, we will reach the stars.
We have a real chance to change the path we are on as a country, give hope a chance, and make
New Zealand great again, like it once was when we were the number one democracy in the world.
The time is now.
We Are Breaking the Shackles of the Status Quo
New Zealand First has achieved a lot over the four governments that we have been a part of, punching well above our electoral weight.
We are the Party that raised the minimum wage for workers, not once, but three times in 2005, 2017, and again in this current government.
We are the Party that increased our frontline police numbers, not once, but three times, in 2005 by 1000, in 2017 by 1800, and again in this government we will have shortly completed our coalition agreement to increase our frontline police numbers by 500.
We are the Party who demanded in our coalition agreement to introduce Coward Punch laws and tougher penalties for those who assault our First Responders.
We are the Party who fought for the SuperGold Card for our seniors in 2005, repealed the pernicious surtax, raised super to 66% of median wage, and now making the SuperGold Card a form of physical ID.
We are the Party who brought in free healthcare for children under the age of 14.
We are the Party who brought in pay parity for primary school teachers.
We are the Party who have invested billions into our struggling regions with the Provincial Growth
Fund in 2017, and again this term with the Regional Infrastructure Fund.
We are the Party that has rebuilt our regional rail network after 2017, and again this term with much needed investment into the once neglected system.
We are the Party that has increased funding to our great St John Ambulance service.
We are the Party that has a bill to let the local ratepayers decide about fluoride in their water, instead of central government ramming it down your throat.
We demanded a second Covid Inquiry, but sadly other parties watered that purpose down. Why?
Because they are all implicated.
We are the only Party that has called for a new select committee inquiry into those who were injured by the vaccine – and being compensated for it. We are not going to let the matter be swept under the carpet by incompetent ministers.
We stopped all work on He Puapua, we stopped the WHO imposing International Health Regulations without New Zealand’s consent.
We repealed the Natural Health Products legislation.
We have taken men out of women’s sports.
We stopped the use of puberty blockers in children.
We are making English an official language, that will stop the nonsense that led to the CRL renaming the Britomart Station “Waitamata” and the Mt Eden Station “Mangawhau” without seeking a mandate, we are fighting against that woke ideology that has pervaded our country over the past ten years.
The list goes on and on.
The width and breadth of our accomplishments is vast and has influenced and positively affected every sector, every region, every part of New Zealanders lives.
But it’s not just the policies that our party has accomplished. It is about the common sense, experience, and the values that we bring to government.
Currently, we are fighting against the Gene Tech Bill.
We are fighting against the use of Digital ID.
And the ban on social media for under sixteen-year-olds.
But if we as a country want to truly achieve more, to see more of those great policies, to see those values and principles of nationalism, patriotism, conservatism in the true leadership of our great country, then New Zealand First needs you – to give us the tools we need to get the job done.
We need to break the shackles of the status quo, we need to stop accepting the swing of the managed decline.
Pepsi or Coke Pendulum Swing
We need to take this unique chance in November, to stop the monotonous “Pepsi or Coke pendulum swing”, and give our country the chance to be truly great again.
We are asking you to Party Vote New Zealand First.
One local example, Labour made all the promises to build the Mill Road four-lane corridor, then did nothing about it.
National’s MP based in Papakura then said “We have a city, the size of Napier, being built at Drury and still, this Labour government thinks a cycle way will be sufficient.”
Then, National has just continued to delay this project once again.
Pepsi and Coke have promised and done nothing.
New Zealand First, the party of the Provincial Growth Fund, and Regional Infrastructure Fund, the rebuilder of the Rail Network across the country, is committing, as an election promise, to get the Mill Road corridor built as a priority.
The Problems with the FTA
New Zealand First is against the Indian Free Trade Agreement, for good reason. It is not the ‘great deal’ that has been portrayed by other political parties.
We aren’t against free trade agreements.
It is written in the New Zealand First coalition agreement to specifically prioritise an FTA with India.
But, what we are against are bad Free Trade Agreements that are not in New Zealand’s best interests.
If you talk about the good parts of the Indian FTA, you have to talk about the bad parts – which other political parties are conveniently ignoring, brushing off, or passing the buck.
New Zealand First has highlighted from day one the reasons this deal is bad.
We stated from day one that this deal has unprecedented immigration settings including uncapped student numbers with working rights and 5000 visa holders entering New Zealand able to bring in families with them. This is in addition to other uncapped immigration work visa pathways within the agreement.
The ultimate question and problem we have is why has migration been made one of centrepieces of what is meant to be a free trade deal? Why has this become a free migration deal?
There are also two clauses that are included in the FTA that no one can give an explanation as to why.
The UN co-governance framework UNDRIP, the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of
Indigenous People, is in the agreement. This is the provision that created He Puapua.
The Paris Agreement clause is also in the FTA. The agreement that will see us send up to $22 billion overseas in a pointless and futile attempt to reduce our 0.17% CO2 emissions in the face of just four countries China, US, Russia and India producing 60% of the worlds emissions – and who produce more CO2 in a day than we do in a year.
If it is in the coalition agreement that UNDRIP is not recognised, and the Act Party is supposedly against UNDRIP and Paris Accord, why are these clauses in the FTA that both National and Act have supported?
What is more, New Zealand must promote $33 billion of investment into India over just the next 15 years, otherwise India can claw back the agreement. Billions of our dollars into a foreign country when we are desperate for investment here in New Zealand.
We heard last weekend, when Prime Minister Modi himself said, not just once, but twice, that this was a “commitment to invest”, yet we were told by National that it was just “an aspiration”.
Do you remember John Key when he told us all not to worry because UNDRIP was “just aspirational”?
Luxon said Modi was wrong, and Hipkins washed his hands of all responsibility for this mess of different interpretations.
Surely the New Zealand people need an explanation.
If, since 2012 New Zealand has only invested $4.2 Billion into China through that FTA, then how are we going to find $33 Billion over the next 15 years for India? Riddle me that.
To get to this point where there is such a difference in interpretation, after this deal has been signed, is a real worry.
What is worse, is when Hipkins clearly understood that there was a very serious potential for this different interpretation of the deal to badly effect New Zealand businesses, he warned those businesses that there are “risks” with what was in the FTA. This is after Hipkins supported it.
Hipkins is now putting all that responsibility and risk that he has allowed to occur by supporting this FTA, onto New Zealand businesses.
Why wasn’t the interpretation clear before the FTA was signed by National and before Act and Labour supported it?
National brushes it off saying ‘India is wrong’ and Labour is washing their hands of all the risk they have both created.
This is a recipe for disaster.
Astonishingly, Luxon told media that the good news is he spoke to a New Zealand manufacturing business who told him that they are already planning to put manufacturing facilities into India.
Since when was it a good thing that New Zealand companies are moving employment and production overseas?
Do you see how backward this has all become?
Are you seeing now why New Zealand First has opposed this FTA from the time we saw the real detail?
The Left Must Not Win
We must not forget what we inherited just three short years ago from an economically destructive and morally bereft Labour government, that left this country in a precarious and impossible position.
We inherited a broken economy, a fractured society, and a country on a road to social disaster. That road was paved with the unbelievable incompetence from the last Labour government.
New Zealand’s debt skyrocketed, there were multiple fiscal policies with no allocated funding, racist co-governance and woke ideology had spread into legislation and throughout the public sector, universities, government departments, and schools.
The left had simply run roughshod over our country.
Labour left us:
- A crumbling, underfunded, overwhelmed Health System.
An education system that had seen:
- a record number of children failing basic standards and truancy rate,
- an unmanageable number of schools without adequate classrooms, and
- many in the teaching force under enormous strain.
A Defence Force that had lost more than a third of its personnel over the three years.
An undermanned Police Force:
- haemorrhaging officers to Australia,
- massive shortages in recruitment,
- massive increases in crime, and
- youth ramraids and violence that was simply out of control.
Gang numbers that ballooned over the three years.
A cost-of-living crisis.
A housing crisis with skyrocketing prices and unprecedented numbers living in emergency hotels.
Remember the Labour promise 100,000 new Kiwi-Build houses in ten years?
They left us a rate of child poverty even higher than when in 2021 Jacinda Ardern made herself the ‘Minister of Child Poverty’.
A mental health system that had seen more and more young people suffering with no help.
Crumbling infrastructure around the country with no plan, no funding, and no idea.
An unprecedented, uncontrollable level of immigration – over 133,000 entering in 2023 alone.
And during Covid, Labour left large numbers of people ostracised, demonised, shutdown and shutout, ignored and cancelled – all because those people fought for their right to say ‘no, we disagree.’
And they are hoping we have all forgotten about all of that.
They are now actively banking on working with the wacky Greens and racist mess of the Māori Party.
Labour care more about the seats that will give them a road to power, rather than the danger of who it is that will fill those seats.
The Labour Party of just twenty years ago would never entertain working with the likes of those in the current Greens or Māori Party. Those two parties are self-confessed Marxists and separatists, who have unworkable dangerous policies, and care more about globalist woke ideology and geopolitical wars happening ten thousand miles away than understanding the real world here in New Zealand.
A Labour, Greens, Māori Party government would be an unmitigated disaster for our country.
The reality is, Labour long ago deserted the traditional blue-collar workers of New Zealand.
The movement of the party to the far left has caused longtime Labour voters to feel abandoned by a party that once stood for the ‘ordinary hard-working kiwi’.
Instead, Labour now cares more about ‘social justice’ issues, socialist economics, and cultural separatism.
That is why we ruled out working with Labour before the last election and why we are again ruling out working with the Labour Party in 2026.
New Zealand Needs Bold Policies
New Zealand First has already announced a number of election policies that we believe are needed to affect real change in the direction of the country, drive down the cost of living, and to secure a future for kiwis.
We have announced policies to break up the power companies, split the supermarket duopoly, re-establish a competitive state owned bank, return mining royalties created in the regions back to the regions, we announced our KiwiSaver policy of making it compulsory with automatic sign-up at birth $1000 kickstart – which by the way we announced a month before National decided to steal it and announce it as its own.
We announced a policy to establish a $100 billion Future Fund that will invest in thirty-year infrastructure plan for our country – a fund that is separate from the influence of politicians and run similar to the highly successful Temasek model in Singapore.
We have also announced that we will pull out of the Paris Agreement that is senselessly hamstringing our economy.
And we have most recently announced a policy to ensure that only citizens are allowed to vote in our country.
Unbelievably, right now someone who has been in New Zealand for just twelve months can vote on who is in government, who is in local council, and vote on referendum issues that change the social fabric of our country. Over voting rules are the most lax in the world.
New Zealand First will fix this.
These polices will change the status quo, reform our country, and put New Zealand back on a pathway of prosperity.
They are bold policies. But bold policies are needed to create a fair playing field in the power, food, and banking systems so we can make real change to kiwis’ lives, drive down the cost of living, give kiwis a fair go, and take back control of our country.
Election 2026 Campaign Policy Announcement
We are announcing another bold campaign policy today.
One of the most concerning issues we are currently facing as a nation is the existential threat to fuel security and fuel supply.
We have seen the immediate effects of being isolated and totally dependent on international supply lines of oil and gas, and the dramatic and costly effects it has on New Zealand’s sustainability, planning, and future certainty.
We are totally susceptible to the geopolitical choices made by other nations in the cost, supply, and certainty we need as a country to survive, today and into the future.
This needs to change.
Other parties want to ‘tinker around the edges’ with solar panel plans – which does next to nothing to address fuel and gas insecurity; we say New Zealand has one of the greatest potentials in the world to have ownership of our own supply of oil and natural gas.New Zealand potentially holds Norway-scale energy prospects in our offshore basins and that potential has never been accurately surveyed or characterised with modern tools.
If we identify those reserves in our basins, we will have the ability to utilise the natural resources we have to make our country secure, prosperous, and to build real resilience.
Analysis shows that the odds of New Zealand having a major commercial discovery in our basins is well above ninety percent. And most likely, we hold something that would be transformational for our country, and potentially the equivalent of Norway in scale.
We can no longer ignore this potential we have in our deep sea basins.
This is about future-proofing New Zealand in a world of uncertainty.
This is about making the investment now to build fuel security and fuel resilience for New Zealand’s future. We cannot afford to wait any longer.
New Zealand First will be campaigning on an initial investment of $1 billion over the term of government, into a ‘National Subsurface Development Survey’ – to identify and create one national dataset across energy, geothermal and CO₂ storage sites, and create the framework for New Zealand to develop those sites, extract those resources, and build our country’s resilience and prosperous economic future.
New Zealand has ten prospective basins with world-class potential, the Great South Basin has had eight wells drilled in its entire history and the deeper horizons are untested. The existing seismic data is two technology generations old, covering only a fraction of our subsurface inheritance.
Namibia has made the discoveries that can now transform its country and economy after a focused data acquisition campaign which began in 2022.
In under a decade, Guyana went from first discovery to South America’s third-largest producer.
We have that potential here in New Zealand.
Since the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, capital is now moving into politically stable basins elsewhere in the world, and for it to move it needs modern data. The reality is, survey costs right now sit at structural lows.
The policy is a game changer.
Under this plan we would expect to see first results within twelve months and convert that potential into knowledge that global capital can bid against. This is at a time when we are in the midst of the largest basin-capital movement in a generation.
Within the first twenty-four months the highest-ranked basins will have surveying completed with wells identified, and the first physical proof that reserves exist.
Potentially within just six years, we will have a pathway forward for our country to own and control our own supply of energy that we can use domestically and export around the world.
New Zealand First would utilise these resources to transform our economy and our future.
We would set fair terms while explorers carry the risk of proving the fields – and over time place a royalty well above 50% on all extractions as production matures.
We would use these finds to end the gas shortfalls that have sent power prices through the roof, and to drive fuel costs down locally, export oil and gas, and establish a Norwegian-model sovereign fund.
We will transform any discovery into permanent national wealth and invest in regional industry.
New Zealand has natural resources that are there, ready to be utilised to transform our country.
This is about New Zealand’s economic sovereignty and security, we cannot wait and continue to be beholden to international interests and decision making.
We will find those energy reserves, we will extract them, and what we find, we will use to make our country prosperous again.
Conclusion
Ladies and gentlemen, we are all here because we love our country, and we are proud of it.
True democracy is a rare flower in the history of humanity.
We have inherited a free country that our forebears fought and died for, and it’s our job to preserve it.
But only if we are proud of what we have inherited can we come together and move forward to shape the vision of our country’s future.
We live in a country that, at its core, traditional New Zealand values once saw us amongst the world’s leaders – hard work, fair pay, valuing our citizenship, building a sense of community, and knowing who we are as kiwis.
We must remember, New Zealand is the beneficiary of Western values, democracy, and the rule of law. And the advancement and enhancement of those principles have only occurred in those societies that have united together as one people – and who celebrate their nationhood instead of perpetuating division.
We must take hold of new opportunities and embrace hope for a new direction. Because the past is now over, the future is coming, and New Zealand needs to be ready.
There is a lot of uncertainty around the world and at home, but we must keep hope alive that, with hard work and perseverance, tomorrow will be better.
New Zealand First is nationalist, patriotic, and socially conservative.
We are proud to not only stand for those values, but to fight for them.
Times are tough. But we are fighting for you. And we will never give up.
We must not lose sight of how far we have come on this long road to recovery.
And, if you give us the tools, we will finish the job.
It hasn’t been easy – but things in life worth doing – are never easy.
It is what will build the character of our country.
We must never forget that challenge.
We must never stop believing in New Zealand.
That is our vision and that is our mission.
To protect, to save, and to restore New Zealand’s place at the top of the world.
By putting New Zealand and New Zealanders first.
We are asking you to join us – and Party Vote New Zealand First.
