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- Introducing 90-day trials and a ‘starting-out’ wage
- Reductions in ACC levies
- Emphasis on tax reform for small businesses and contractors to encourage economic growth
- Reform pay-equity laws
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- Education (Tertiary Education and Other Matters) Amendment Bill introduced to:
- Increase the flexibility of funding
- Further strengthen monitoring and compliance
- Ensure consistent treatment of tertiary education providers
- Broaden international and domestic student protection arrangements
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- Continue to fund the Trade Agenda 2030. This is the National Government’s trade policy strategy which directs government funding to support greater international trade and continuing negotiations on Free Trade Agreements including TPP and EU
- Commitment to ‘Open Skies’ Agreements
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- Increasing the minimum wage to $16.50 an hour
- Replacing what Labour refers to as ‘fire at will’ law with fair trial periodsthat provide both protection against unjustified dismissal and a simple, fair, andfast referee service
- Introducing Fair Pay Agreements that set fair, basic employment conditions acrossan industry based on the employment standards that apply in that industry
- Promoting the Living Wage by paying it to all workers in the core public service,and extending it to contractors over time
- Doubling the number of Labour Inspectors
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- Progressively introduce 3 years of free post-school education, allowing access to university, polytechnic or on-job training for young New Zealanders and those who have not studied before
- Encourage employers to take on unemployed young people as apprentices by giving them a wage subsidy equivalent to the unemployment benefit
- Reinstate funding for programmes - like night classes - that support adult learners to adapt to thechanging world
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- Seek renegotiation of the TPP; consider the impact of ‘Open Skies’ Agreements – policy in progress but no current plans to repeal
- Strengthen the Labour Market Test for work visas so they are not being used for jobs Kiwis can do, and make skills shortage lists more regional
- Require courses for international students to be high-quality, remove the ability to work for international students in low-level courses except where the work is approved as part of their study
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- Lower flat taxes to stimulate the economy and promote high growth and low unemployment
- Cut Working for Families and paid parental leave payments to high income earners
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- Open more Partnership Schools – increasing choice in New Zealand’s schooling system
- Increase borrowing limit for student loan living costs
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- Not available at time of publication
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- Increase the accommodation benefit for tertiary students by 50 percent
- Make a cost of living adjustment to all student allowances
- Provide free public transport for all students
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- Establish an internship visa for skilled migrants to work in the regions
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- Extend paid parental leave to 56 weeks and allow 14 weeks to be transferred to a partner
- Introduce a flexible retirement age
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- TOP intends to slash the tax rates on salaries and wages, and ask the owners of assets to pay more
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- Conduct at tertiary sector review to ensure the sector is keeping up with the need for lifelong learning
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- Remove the need for highly skilled migrants to have a job to come to. Skilled migrants would be allowed to come on a trial basis but they could only stay if they find skilled work and can demonstrate their benefit to the country
- Reform the study-to-work-to-residency regime for foreign students so only jobs that meet a genuine skill criteria are recognised for residency points
- Market New Zealand in key source markets such as the UK, Europe, Asia and US (taking advantage of Brexit, nationalism & Trump) as a tech savvy nation with an attractive lifestyle
- Develop reciprocal business/high skilled visas – these allow someone to show up and do business for a greater length of time than a visitor visa. At the end of a probation period apply a test of their contribution to NZ before approving residency
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