National's economic policies have delivered the highest 'real' interest rates in the western world ... a trading balance that is the worst in a decade ... increasing unemployment... a growing 'underclass' dependent upon welfare benefits ... and the surrender of this country's assets to foreign control. That is the legacy of failure.  "New Zealand needs a moderate, balanced and sane economic policy ... that will provide stability and boost export-led growth".  New Zealand First will adopt moderate and balanced policies to;  • Target 6% GDP growth by the end of its first term.  • Lower interest rates and bring the Kiwi dollar back to realistic levels ... by adding sustainable economic growth" to the Reserve Bank's inflation target.  • Support the second round of tax cuts proposed for July 1997.  • Introduce a compulsory superannuation savings scheme.  • Stop all asset sales ... ban rural land sales to foreigners ... and impose strict controls (maximum 24.9% shareholding) upon foreign investment in this country's strategic assets.  In addition. New Zealand First will stimulate export-led growth by ...  • Creating a $150 million Export Credit Guarantee Scheme; boosting funding and resources for Tradenz'; reviewing R & D taxation incentives; and creating a 'technology transfer' programme for both public and private sectors.  "Our public health system is in tatters... thanks to National's attempts to make profits out of the sick. In addition, CHE boards lack public accountability and over 90,000 people are on public hospital waiting lists.  Child health in this country is among the worst in the OECD"  A New Zealand First-led government's first priority will be to improve child health. We will also slash waiting lists and make the health system respond to the needs of you and your family. New Zealand First will ...  • Make all child visits to the doctor FREE ... for children aged 12 years and under.  • Abolish prescription charges ... for children aged 12 years and under.  • Introduce new 'Family Health Teams' to target "at risk" families and communities.  • Abolish public hospital outpatient charges for everyone.  • Introduce 'guaranteed maximum waiting times' for public hospital operations ... and inject an additional $150 million into reducing hospital waiting lists.  • Dramatically reduce bureaucratic waste by abolishing the four RHAs and reducing the number of CHEs.  Dignity in retirement is a human right  . The retired and elderly of this country have been betrayed by successive Labour and National governments. Broken promises have destroyed the faith of many retired .folk in our entire political system. , New Zealand First will not let the elderly down.  "We will promote policies that are fair, reasonable and provide a level of comfort and dignity for all retired New Zealanders"  New Zealand First will.  • Totally abolish the hated super surtax in our first year in government.  • Adjust NZ Superannuation every six ' months ... and in line with inflation(CPI) rises.  • Remove asset-testing from public , and private hospital care.  • Exempt the "family home" from any 'asset-testing regime for private rest- home care ... including for surviving spouses in care and for both married partners in care.  • Introduce an exciting new 'Home Equity' scheme for retired folk reliant solely on NZ superannuation;  • Slash public hospital waiting lists ... and abolish public hospital outpatient fees.  Crime - particularly violent crime and sexual crime - has escalated since 1984. Incredibly, this National government is now chopping over 500 sworn Police staff... to save money. Our 'thin blue line' is losing the fight against crime. New Zealand First will tackle this crisis ... by providing our Police with the resources and the staff to do the job.  New Zealand First will;  • Create 500 new and additional Police positions in our first term in office;  • Provide the Police with the legal powers and the equipment to combat organised crime and gangs.  • Introduce 'Victim Restitution' legislation that see criminals pay compensation to their victims.  • Boost Victim Support services.  • Dedicate speed camera revenue ($29 million per year) to new traffic safety programmes and resources.  • Introduce tough new drink/driving laws.  • Amend the Children, Young Persons & Their Families Act to impose stricter controls against repeat juvenile offenders.  "New Zealand First will restore confidence and vigour to the farming sector... and ensure that rural New Zealanders are guaranteed a quality level of social services."  • New Zealand First's ECONOMIC POLICY will lower interest rates and the exchange rate, and our EXPORT POLICY will open up new markets for producers and support exporters in those markets.  New Zealand First's RURAL POLICY guarantees ...  • NO rural/provincial hospital closures.  • NO rural school closures.  • A free 0800 telephone service for isolated, rural areas for access to government departments and agencies.  Additional R&D support for organic farming initiatives.  A Farm Debt Mediation Act... which requires independent mediation ahead of mortgagee sales.  Retention of both the Dairy Board's and Apple & Pear Board's export powers  A Meat Industry Summit to ensure greater co-operation within the meat industry.  "New Zealand First will provide the Leadership, the Vision and the Policies... to build a fair and healthy society for each and every New Zealander"  HEALTH  New Zealand First's first priority will be to improve child health. We will also slash hospital waiting lists and make the health system more responsive to the needs of you and your family.  New Zealand First will:  • Make visits to the doctor FREE ... for children aged 12 years and under.  • Abolish prescription charges ... for children aged 12 years and under.  • Introduce new "Family Health Teams.  to target "at risk" families and communities.  • Abolish public hospital outpatient charges for everyone.  • Introduce "guaranteed maximum waiting times" for public hospital operations and inject an additional $150 million into reducing hospital waiting lists.  • Dramatically reduce bureaucratic waste by abolishing the four RHAs and reducing the number of CHEs.  • Replace CHEs with democratically elected Regional Health Boards ... accountable to you and your community.  housing  The rising cost of housing ... has been a key factor in increasing poverty in New Zealand. In addition, National has privatised many aspects of the Housing Corporation and dramatically reduced State assistance.  New Zealand First will remove the profit focus from Housing New Zealand ... and provide low and middle-income families with additional housing support by:  • Reducing bureaucracy and improving efficiency - by merging Housing NZ, the Housing Corporation, the Ministry of Housing and Community Housing;  "Freezing" State housing rentals for three (3) years.  Boosting the Accommodation Supplement by $125 million and making this additional support available to ALL low income tenants (state and private);  Creating a special 'Hardship Fund' for State tenants where there are special circumstances;  Introducing a generous "Right-to-Buy" scheme for State housing tenants.  National's tertiary policies mean that two-thirds of students miss out on student allowances entirely. Instead, National's student loans scheme is forcing tertiary education to become ruinously expensive.  Source 1996 Budget.  A quality education is each child's right... it is our society's investment in our future.  Education in New Zealand is under great pressure with falling teacher morale, inadequate funding and growing gaps in the standard of education within our schools.  New Zealand First believes that early childhood and primary education should be our funding priority. Only a decent start... can guarantee a child's future.  New Zealand First will:.  • Give early childhood education the highest priority (from 0 to 8 years of age) and boost early childhood funding by $40 million per year - or $120 million in our first term.  • Implement 1:20 teacher/pupil ratios for junior primary classes;  • Invest an additional $300 million per year ($900 million in the first three years) in the Education portfolio.  • Raise quality standards with regard to Maori education;  • Establish pay parity between early childhood, primary and secondary teaching sectors.  • Introduce a "sabbatical" system for teaching professionals.  • Stop parental income-testing for access to tertiary student allowances. Provide a "Universal Allowance" for all tertiary students set at the level of the Unemployment Benefit.  • Guarantee the survival of rural schools.  • Boost "special education" funding ... and support 'Special' schools where required.  TERTIARY STUDENTS/ BILLIONS IN DEBT.  WELFARE BENEFITS HAVE EXPLODED.  If the economic reforms of the past 12 years have worked ... then why are over 300,000 New Zealanders dependent upon welfare benefits? The situation has worsened further under current economic policies.  National and Labour's legacy of the past 12 years are broken Manifesto promises. Over 150,000 New Zealanders are still registered as unemployed.  The link between unemployment and crime (particularly, among young males) is well established. New Zealand First will not abandon the unemployed to welfare subsistence.  New Zealand First will:  • Adopt moderate economic policies that reduce interest rates and the exchange rate.  • Introduce an EXPORT POLICY that will boost economic and employment growth.  • Replace the Unemployment Benefit with a "community wage" for ad long-term jobless persons.  • Create a $150 million community work programme - in partnership with local councils and communities.  • Create a 'one-stop shop' that will meet the education.  training and employment needs of unemployed persons... based in their own community.  Create Regional Employment Committees which will be organised and funded to find local solutions for local employment/ training problems.  In the past five years, over 200,000 people have been admitted to New Zealand under National's immigration policies ... 55,000 in the past 12 months.  New Zealand First says that immigration must be in New Zealand's best interests. Unrestrained immigration has driven up inflation ... clogged our transport system ... put increasing pressure on our schools and hospitals.  In addition, over 15,000 overstayers still live in New Zealand ... again creating problems for our social services.  New Zealand First will:  • Cut immigration "to the bone"... to a maximum of 10,000 persons per year;  • Impose strict new requirements upon the new migrants to halt current abuse of our immigration procedures;  • Grant a limited "amnesty" to the 15,000 overstayers to leave New Zealand without penalty.  Provide additional resources to New Zealand Immigration to apprehend remaining overstayers and return them to their home country.