Clayton Mitchell New Zealand First MP

The latest OECD report clearly shows New Zealand's low position on the rankings because we are importing more than we export, and our kids are not leaving school with the right kind of education for the modern world.

Our students should be looking towards the future with expectation and anticipation, knowing they are ready and prepared to take the world by storm. We must make sure that our kids are growing up, learning what they will actually need in the future economy. If it's maths for IT coding and machine engineering, the sciences and foreign languages, then let's give them the right start without loading them down with crippling education debt before they even have a chance to get out there and start building a life for themselves.

New Zealand First's tertiary education policy will replace student loan financial debt with a debt of time owed to our country to make it easier for Kiwis to learn what they, and we, really need.

To deal with our trade deficit, New Zealand First is determined to assist NZ entrepreneurs to add value to our resources before we export them. I see the raw logs piled high at the port every morning as I drive along Hewletts Rd and it makes me shake my head in disbelief. All I see are jobs and opportunities lost.

To be an effective, added-value exporting nation we need to have a competitive dollar which is why New Zealand First has called for Monetary Policy Reform to enable the moderating of short-term currency fluctuations to ensure that the NZ dollar reflects our economy's fundamentals. This will make our exports more attractive, increasing GDP and productivity, and creating Kiwi wealth.

New Zealanders must be able to move forwards in their own country, for the good of the country moving forward.