Drowning rates in New Zealand have reached an all-time high. These rates are a cause for concern and are currently the highest we've seen here since 1996. 74 New Zealanders, including children, died last year alone. One of the leading causes of drowning is a lack of swimming ability. The financial burden of swimming lessons, at over $100 a term, has been a significant barrier to swim safety. Swimming lessons are unaffordable for the average New Zealand family, especially for those with multiple children. This has halted the decrease in drowning numbers in New Zealand waters. We want parliament to implement the policy for every child between the ages of 5-13, residing in New Zealand with 20 free swimming lessons per annum.  Hopefully change to this will provide life-saving skills to New Zealanders and prevent further deaths by drowning in the upcoming summer and the years to come. Signing this petition will help bring the momentum we need to bring this to Parliament!