New Zealand is standing at a historic crossroads. The 2023 election is not just another election; it is a turning point, a watershed moment for our nation’s future.

Six years have passed since the Sixth Labour Government was elected, and three years since the unprecedented Covid election of 2020.

Now, the people of New Zealand are about to express their verdict and their hopes for the future.

The mood is sombre. About two-thirds of us feel we are headed in the wrong direction. Business and consumer confidence have dipped to levels sometimes worse than the grim days of the Global Financial Crisis.

Yet, the election hangs in balance.

Why? Perhaps because New Zealanders are waiting. Waiting for something more than just promises. Waiting for a clear, well-researched plan that addresses our problems and offers solutions based on international best practices.

And as we wait for our mainstream parties to develop this plan, we at The New Zealand Initiative have taken the step.

This week we released Prescription for Prosperity, our blueprint for a flourishing New Zealand.

In this document, we offer an ambitious vision across 21 policy areas. From fiscal strategy to climate change, from education to health, you will find dozens of ideas for reform.

Built on over a decade of research, supported by more than a hundred reports and worked up by some of the best minds in New Zealand policy, this is not a patchwork of ideas. It is a holistic approach.

Unlike the typical election campaign promises, Prescription for Prosperity offers a realistic path to positive change.

Imagine a New Zealand where housing is affordable, where local governments have robust funding options, and where students are equipped with the skills to thrive. Imagine a country where public finances are strong, inflation is controlled, carbon emissions are reduced efficiently, and our resources are managed wisely. Imagine a country that works for all its people.

That is the New Zealand we envision.

Prescription for Prosperity is not just another document but an invitation to reshape our nation.

We know this country deserves better than we have seen in recent years. Better than fragmented proposals and unfulfilled promises. Better than slogans and clever marketing.
If you share our vision for a better New Zealand, Prescription for Prosperity will spark ideas.

And to our political parties, we say: Take these ideas. Embrace them. Make them yours.

Because, together, we can write a new chapter in our nation’s history. A chapter of growth, of renewal, of hope.

Read Prescription for Prosperity here.