New Zealand’s new government sworn in, scraps world-first smoking ‘generation ban’ – Times of India
NEW DELHI: Christopher Luxon, the former head of Air New Zealand, officially assumed the role of New Zealand’s Prime Minister on Monday, pledging to address inflation and reduce interest rates.
Luxon’s ascension to power comes six weeks after his conservative National Party triumphed in the national elections, bringing an end to the Labour Party’s six-year rule initiated by Jacinda Ardern.
At 53 years old, Luxon, who previously served as the CEO of Air New Zealand, was inaugurated as the leader of a new coalition government by the governor-general in Wellington, the nation’s capital.
“It is an honour and an awesome responsibility,” Luxon said while talking to media.
“The number one job is to fix the economy. We have to reduce the cost of living and get inflation under control so we can lower interest rates and make food more affordable.”
The outgoing Labour government faced challenges in managing the escalating cost of living, a problem partly attributed to pandemic-related supply chain disruptions and the conflict in Ukraine.
Chris Hipkins, the leader of the Labour Party, succeeded Ardern as Prime Minister in January. Ardern had surprisingly stepped down, citing a lack of energy to continue her five-year tenure.
Luxon has become New Zealand’s 42nd Prime Minister after forming a coalition government through extended negotiations that concluded six weeks post-election.
Govt scraps world-first smoking ‘generation ban’
The newly formed government in New Zealand has decided to revoke its groundbreaking anti-smoking law, which was aimed at preventing future generations from smoking, in order to finance tax reductions. This decision has raised concerns among public health experts, who fear it will lead to numerous deaths and have a devastating impact on Maori communities, a Guardian report said.
In 2022, New Zealand had introduced a landmark law that progressively increased the legal smoking age. This law was intended to ensure that individuals born after January 2009 would never be able to legally purchase cigarettes, thereby averting thousands of deaths related to smoking and saving the healthcare system a substantial amount of money.
These laws were set to be enacted starting July 2024. However, the National party, in its coalition agreement with New Zealand First, has decided to repeal these amendments. This includes reversing the requirements for reducing nicotine levels, the decrease in retail outlets, and the ban on selling tobacco to future generations, the Guardian report said.
(With inputs from agencies)
Luxon’s ascension to power comes six weeks after his conservative National Party triumphed in the national elections, bringing an end to the Labour Party’s six-year rule initiated by Jacinda Ardern.
At 53 years old, Luxon, who previously served as the CEO of Air New Zealand, was inaugurated as the leader of a new coalition government by the governor-general in Wellington, the nation’s capital.
“It is an honour and an awesome responsibility,” Luxon said while talking to media.
“The number one job is to fix the economy. We have to reduce the cost of living and get inflation under control so we can lower interest rates and make food more affordable.”
The outgoing Labour government faced challenges in managing the escalating cost of living, a problem partly attributed to pandemic-related supply chain disruptions and the conflict in Ukraine.
Chris Hipkins, the leader of the Labour Party, succeeded Ardern as Prime Minister in January. Ardern had surprisingly stepped down, citing a lack of energy to continue her five-year tenure.
Luxon has become New Zealand’s 42nd Prime Minister after forming a coalition government through extended negotiations that concluded six weeks post-election.
Govt scraps world-first smoking ‘generation ban’
The newly formed government in New Zealand has decided to revoke its groundbreaking anti-smoking law, which was aimed at preventing future generations from smoking, in order to finance tax reductions. This decision has raised concerns among public health experts, who fear it will lead to numerous deaths and have a devastating impact on Maori communities, a Guardian report said.
In 2022, New Zealand had introduced a landmark law that progressively increased the legal smoking age. This law was intended to ensure that individuals born after January 2009 would never be able to legally purchase cigarettes, thereby averting thousands of deaths related to smoking and saving the healthcare system a substantial amount of money.
These laws were set to be enacted starting July 2024. However, the National party, in its coalition agreement with New Zealand First, has decided to repeal these amendments. This includes reversing the requirements for reducing nicotine levels, the decrease in retail outlets, and the ban on selling tobacco to future generations, the Guardian report said.
(With inputs from agencies)
