The liberal agenda is a proposed programme for New Zealand liberals based on the principle of personal freedom.

	The only freedom which deserves the name, is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs or impede their efforts to obtain it. John Stuart Mill

1. Personal freedom

The principle of personal freedom is the liberal touchstone: every person should be free to live as they choose, provided they do not infringe on this same right in others.

2. Limited government

The proper role of government is to protect the personal freedom of its citizens and its powers and functions should be limited to that role and subject to the rule of law.

3. Free and open society

A liberal society is a free and open society, where all interaction is based on mutual consent, and where government does not promote, or persecute any individual, group, or lifestyle, but protects all equally.

4. Civil society

A liberal society embraces a diverse civil society with a variety of values, lifestyles, and circumstances where government does not attempt to limit that diversity through the social engineering of outcomes.

5. Free-market economy

A liberal economy is based on the free market and property rights where the role of the government is limited to the protection of trade based on mutual consent.

6. Security

The purpose of the legal system is to enforce the legal rights and responsibilities of its citizens: to protect their lives, freedoms, property, and contracts; however, government shares responsibility for its citizens' safety, but citizens retain the right to personal and collective self-defence.

See also:

• Take the Touchstone test to see how closely your views match the liberal agenda.
• Articles applying the liberal agenda to current issues.