NZ First Promises Grants to Boost Birth Rates

New Zealand First is promising to boost birth rates with a proposed grant that would give parents up to $15,000 in tax-free payments for their first three children. The Kiwi Kids Grant would provide $5,000 annually for each child's first three years of life, on top of existing parental support.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the policy is an essential investment in the country's future demography and economy. He pointed out that the number of children born to New Zealand citizens has fallen from 52,000 in 2006 to 36,000 in 2025, while the fertility rate had dropped to 1.53 births per woman.

Peters also announced that former Defence Minister Ron Mark would be standing for NZ First in the Wairarapa electorate this election. Mark served as Minister of Defence between 2017 and 2020 and was previously Carterton mayor from 2010 to 2014.