Category: Labour Party

Erica Stanford has been misusing her personal email address to manage sensitive information relating to Budget and visa changes prior to their public release.

“Documents show the Education Minister has sent sensitive government information to an unprotected email address,” Labour’s education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime said.

“We’re talking about serious government decisions that affect peoples’ lives and have millions of taxpayer dollars attached to them. Ministers have a responsibility to keep this information safe.

“Going off the grid with sensitive information is hanging a welcome sign to threats to our national security.

“In 2023 the Cabinet Manual was updated, and now specifically states ‘As far as possible, Ministers should not use their personal email account or phone number to conduct ministerial business.’ This goes far beyond that.

“We have rules for a reason and Erica Stanford isn’t above them. She needs to be upfront about what she is using her personal email for and how much sensitive information has been shared,” Willow-Jean Prime said.

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After failing to be upfront about cuts to intensive care beds, it’s now becoming clear that other downgrades to Dunedin Hospital are being concealed by the Minister of Health.

“National is reducing dementia and psychogeriatric beds capacity at the new Dunedin Hospital by almost half, with no alternative clinical option for older people,” Labour mental health and seniors spokesperson Ingrid Leary said.

“Psychogeriatric care is complex, requiring specialist services and care which are already very scarce in the community.

“Labour had a review underway to look at the best model of care for psychogeriatric services, but that work seems to have been shelved.

“Scaling back the hospital beds on the basis of an as-yet undefined model of care is at best magical thinking, at worst another way of concealing cuts.

“The lower South Island has an older population per capita than most parts of NZ and is already amongst the worst off when it comes to the postcode lottery for access to specialist mental health services.

“To make slash and burn decisions in this context is a slap in the face to our communities and renders Simeon Brown’s assurances earlier this year plain gaslighting,” Ingrid Leary said.

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This May Day Labour is standing with workers to defend decent jobs and fair pay.

“Many Kiwis are struggling to find work or have lost their jobs because of this Government’s disastrous choices,” Labour workplace relations and safety spokesperson Jan Tinetti said.

“Under National, unemployment is up to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work. Construction workers are leaving the country, manufacturing jobs are being cut, and more Kiwis are worried about finding or keeping a job.

“They’re also making life harder for those still in work by scrapping Fair Pay Agreements, docking pay for strike action, and halting progress on pay transparency and equity.

“That makes it harder for workers to negotiate fair wages and keep their jobs. People are left with less job security, fewer rights, and pay that doesn’t keep up with the cost of living.

“Labour believes everyone deserves decent, secure work that allows them to make positive choices in their own lives,” Jan Tinetti said.

Jan Tinetti marked May Day at a workers’ hui at Hopukiore (Mount Drury) Reserve in Mt Maunganui, one of several held nationwide to push back against the Government’s anti-worker agenda. Labour Leader Chris Hipkins also spoke at a May Day event in New Plymouth with union leaders and workers. Other Labour MPs are marking the day at events around the country.

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Two old and ageing ferries are going to have to work double time because of this Government’s failure to get a ferry deal.

“Nicola Willis botched the original ferry deal, failed to secure a new deal and then ran away from the mess she made,” Labour transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere said.

“Winston Peters now has to watch the current rail-enabled ferry retire four years before he’s promising replacements. He hasn’t even secured a new contract, we are no clearer on cost, but he’s claiming replacements will arrive in 2029. How can New Zealanders trust that without any details?

“I feel for the workers set to lose their jobs because of this Government’s ferry failures, but job losses seem to be run-of-the-mill under this Coalition.

“Labour’s ferries would have arrived next year. In time to replace the ageing fleet so taxpayer’s money wasn’t being spent on ongoing maintenance of the old fleet and job losses would’ve been avoided.

“Winston Peters claiming he doesn’t want to pay to maintain use of the rail-enabled Aratere, when he’s getting two decades-old ferries to do double the work is ridiculous.

“At this rate we’ll have no ferries left before he even signs a contract for new ones. Who will retire first, the current fleet of Cook Strait ferries, or Winston Peters?” Tangi Utikere said.

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Today’s confirmed closure of the North Shore Women’s Centre after losing government funding is a huge loss for women in Auckland.

“It’s heartbreaking to see a centre which has done so much for women close following the Government’s funding cuts,” Auckland issues and women’s spokesperson Carmel Sepuloni said

“While Karen Chhour is busy accusing these frontline services of using Oranga Tamariki as a ‘cash cow,’ we continue to see just how out of touch she is as the consequences of her reckless choices become clear.

“As reports of concern about at-risk children surge, now is not the time to cut funding for prevention services.

“My thoughts are with our many frontline services in Tāmaki Makaurau which do an amazing job and are struggling to stay afloat as the Government takes their services backwards,” Carmel Sepuloni said.

“I want to acknowledge the Centre’s incredible 38 years of service to the community and send my aroha to Tracy and her passionate team as they make this difficult decision,” North Shore-based MP, Shanan Halbert said

“Each year, the Centre has helped hundreds of women and children and I now worry about the huge gap left behind in the North Shore for those who need this safe space.”

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Simeon Brown needs to come clean to the people of Dunedin about why he hid plans to downgrade their new hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.

The Otago Daily Times today revealed then-Health Minister Dr Shane Reti was told on January 23 this year that the number of ICU beds would be reduced on opening from 30 to 20.

“Simeon Brown then took over as Health Minister and swooped into Dunedin a week later trying to act the hero on the hospital. But he failed to share this important information about downgrading the number of ICU beds,” Labour acting health spokesperson Peeni Henare said.

“While attempting to patch up the mess National had made of Dunedin Hospital he hid the fact a third of its planned intensive care beds had been cut.

“That is hugely disingenuous. I can see why locals, including the former head of the emergency department, are angry,” Peeni Henare said.

This follows reporting by Stuff at the weekend that New Zealand is nationally 500 hospital beds short.

“Simeon Brown continues to claim everything is going to be okay despite announcing a health infrastructure plan without a cent of actual funding attached, and stopping hospitals from hiring the workforce they need under the guise of saving money,” Peeni Henare said.

“National’s track record is to scale back and delay hospital builds as it has done with Nelson and Dunedin hospitals, which will cost New Zealanders more in the long run. Simeon Brown is content kicking the can down the road while people’s health suffers,” Peeni Henare said.

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Nicola Willis announced that funding for almost every Government department will be frozen in this year’s budget, costing jobs, making access to public services harder, and fuelling an exodus of nurses, teachers, and other public servants.

“Nicola Willis’s slash-and-burn budget is dangerous and reckless,” Labour finance and economy spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said.

“This Government is hanging out a very clear sign that there’s no hope here. They may as well book tickets to Australia for nurses, teachers, police officers, and other public servants who are already struggling, and who will now find it untenable to stay in New Zealand.

“This Government had no problem doling out billions to landlords and the tobacco lobby, but when it comes to what Kiwis care most about—jobs, health, and homes—it’s just one cut after another.

“But the biggest cuts are to investments in our future. In last year’s budget the Government set aside $1.4 billion from Budget 25 just to keep the lights on in our health system. Today’s announcement leaves nothing for new investments, meaning any so-called ‘new’ spending will be funded by cuts elsewhere.

“Last year we saw $12 billion in borrowing for tax cuts, First Home Grants scrapped and $1.5 billion cut from public house building and maintenance, while they froze hiring for frontline health roles and thousands of Kiwis lost their jobs. Every dollar they promise now comes at the cost of something else, and Kiwis deserve to know what’s on the chopping block.

“This is about the Government’s choices. New Zealanders depend on their public services for jobs, good quality healthcare, and access to an affordable home with a good school down the road. Their budget chooses short-term savings at the expense of long-term prosperity, and it’s New Zealanders who will pay the price,” Barbara Edmonds said.

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This Anzac Day, Labour recognises veterans and the service they have given to our country.

“We back the people who have served our country, on deployment or supporting operations here at home,” Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said.

“On this day we recognise the sacrifices they have made and acknowledge there is still work to do.

“Our current system still treats veterans differently based on when they served. The law says that those who served after 1974 aren’t entitled to the same support as those who served before that date, creating a two-tiered system. Meanwhile, in Australia they have a much more consistent veterans’ support system.

“Anzac Day is a reminder that our armed forces serve together, regardless of the decade or deployment. Let’s make sure our support for them reflects that same spirit of unity.

“I know Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Chris Penk shares the same commitment, and I want to reiterate Labour’s willingness to work across the aisle to deliver better outcomes for those who have worn the uniform.

“I remain ready to support meaningful change that gives veterans the support and dignity they deserve,” Greg O’Connor said.

This Anzac Day, Greg O’Connor will attend the Dawn Service and the National Commemorative Service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park. He will also attend the Atatürk Memorial Service in the afternoon. 

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After promising $250 a fortnight to many families, the Government has been forced to admit just a couple hundred families are receiving it.

In a response to a written parliamentary question on their flagship FamilyBoost policy, the Revenue Minister has admitted that so far just “249 households have received the full $975 for both Q3 2024, Q4 2024, and Q1 2025.”

“This means only up to 249 families are receiving the full $250 tax cut that Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis promised during the election campaign,” Labour finance and economy spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said.

“That tax cut was made up of income tax cuts, plus the FamilyBoost childcare rebate. While many people have found their tax cut was less than promised and is quickly being eaten up by rising costs, now we discover that people aren’t getting as much as promised in childcare either. 

“Nicola Willis promised 100,000 families would get FamilyBoost, but barely half that are actually getting childcare support, and as at 9 April just 249 families have received the full amount over the three quarters since the policy was introduced.

“We’ve been asking the Government to make the policy easier for families to access, because it currently requires families to keep invoices and make claims retrospectively which can be a bureaucratic nightmare for busy parents. We’ve also been asking them to consider an end of year wash-up, so people get what they’re entitled to over the year rather than different amounts each quarter.

“But so far they’ve refused to budge. Costs are piling up on families under this Government and people are not getting what they were promised.

“Nicola Willis needs to stop blaming officials for her own failure to make good on her election campaign promises. People voted for her based on this, she should take responsibility for it,” Barbara Edmonds said.

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The Government is putting children at risk in early childhood education (ECE) by proposing to loosen the requirement for qualified teachers.

“David Seymour should focus on growing the number of qualified teachers so more children get the support they deserve,” Labour’s early childhood education spokesperson, Jan Tinetti said.

“What’s worrying about this announcement is how little it tells us about what changes are actually in store.

“Instead of hiding behind vague statements, David Seymour needs to be transparent about what his plans are and whether they will come at the expense of our children’s learning and wellbeing.

“A review into the sector is certainly warranted. It’s important we’re always improving and future-proofing the sector. It’s why we undertook our own review in Government and were clear about what we were modernising.

“We’ve already seen David Seymour butcher the school lunches programme, I’d hate to see the same done to our ECE sector,” Jan Tinetti said.

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