Category: New Zealand Labour Party

More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they’re in line to lose their jobs.

“This is a real concern. You can’t provide a vital frontline service without having the good support that sits on alongside you and behind you,” Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said.

“We’ve already heard how David Seymour wants to half the cost of the programme. Not only will that result in fewer children getting free and healthy lunches, but now he’s coming after the hard-working people who run the programme and taking food off their tables too.

“In this particular case, the fact that we have a strong team in the Ministry of Education means our teachers aren’t burdened down with providing this programme in schools.

“The Government needs to be honest with Kiwis and give some certainty about the future of the school lunch programme.

“This is about choices. David Seymour, Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxon have chosen to give a $2.9 billion tax break to landlords rather than feeding more than 200,000 kids every day. That sum is the equivalent of around 439 million school lunches and would continue the programme for years to come.

“Every day the human cost of the Government’s tax cuts is becoming clearer, and its impact on the services New Zealanders rely on. It is really painting the picture of how unaffordable Nicola Willis’ budget is and the lengths she will go to fund her irresponsible political promise,” Jan Tinetti said.

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The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said.

The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said.

Submissions close this Friday 19th April on the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, which skips checks and balances, and gives Ministers the final sign off on projects, instead of an independent panel.

“The Bill enables private profit to trump our environmental protections,” Rachel Brooking said. “The Bill will enable projects to be given the tick with little regard for their impact.

“Just this morning, Shane Jones announced changes to the Resource Management Act that will make it easier to mine coal – a massive backward step for New Zealand’s climate action.

“Labour was already speeding up the approval and reducing the cost of consenting projects like school building projects, housing, clean energy projects and green areas to absorb water in a flood. But this Bill goes way beyond that.

“Instead of an expert panel making decisions within the confines of environmental protections, we have Shane Jones and Chris Bishop signing projects off instead.

“One of these Ministers has already made it clear he will run roughshod over any species that gets in the way – Shane Jones said “if there is a mining opportunity and it’s impeded by a blind frog, goodbye, Freddy” in the address in reply debate last year.

“This is scary. It allows projects with few or no criteria to be rushed through because a Minister deems it worthy. This could include decisions to allow overseas companies to mine our conservation land, the habitat for our precious, endangered species.

“If Ministers are making the decision to push go on a project the door is open to lobbying from companies and interests here and offshore. It also undermines decades of environmental work by successive Labour and National Governments.

“In reality, this will see projects slowed down as they will be opposed. It has the potential to undermine environmental protections and our international standing as a corruption-free country with good, transparent processes for decision-making.

“I encourage anyone concerned about this to submit their thoughts on the Bill. But hurry – it has to happen by Friday night,” Rachel Brooking said.

You can submit on the Bill here.

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Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said.

“Nicola Willis and Simeon Brown keep telling people there is no money for ferries or public transport, and yet they seem to have no problem exploring another tunnel under Wellington,” Tangi Utikere said.

“National is cutting half-price public transport for under 25s and cancelling free travel for under 13s at the end of this month, which will hit people’s back pocket right in the middle of a cost of living crisis.

“The Cook Straight ferries have been canned, despite the urgent need for replacements to secure the future of our vital North-South Island link for passengers and freight.

“National has repealed plans to help councils dig up old and faulty pipes and fix their water infrastructure, despite huge ongoing infrastructure issues in Wellington and around the country.

“And they’re ignoring the need for better transport corridors above ground so that people can live further out, and more houses can be built to reduce costs of rent and travel in the capital.

“Yet there’s enough money for a business case on another tunnel, which was ruled out under Let’s Get Wellington Moving for the cost being “eye watering”. The government also have promised Wellingtonians construction will start on a second Mt Victoria tunnel before the next election.

“This announcement is a diversion from the important investments that need to be made today, by a Government that desperately wants to look like it is investing in tomorrow. National already has big holes in its Budget, so they’re now looking to add costs for future Governments instead of dealing with the infrastructure needs of today.

“It is irresponsible. If National was truly focused on improving productivity, helping people get around and transporting freight, they would not be making these decisions,” said Tangi Utikere.

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A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert.

“The State of the City Update released this week shows that after almost six months under a National Government, Tāmaki Makarau Auckland is in the top third of cities with the highest cost of living, and ranked 80th of 100 when it comes to prosperity,” said Shanan Halbert.

“I believe Minister Simeon Brown isn’t focussed on his Auckland portfolio. He hasn’t taken any papers to Cabinet, and Auckland wasn’t a priority during the first 100 days, nor is it on this quarter’s to-do list. At the rate he’s going I wouldn’t be surprised if he drops the portfolio altogether.

“All we have seen from Simeon Brown, who is supposedly charged with meeting Auckland’s needs, is more expensive public transport, a 1.2 billion hole in the city’s infrastructure fund and a potential 25.8 per cent rates rise to cover the costs of water.

“We had a plan that would have saved Auckland rate payers money. Repealing the regional fuel tax while adding other taxes, does not save Aucklanders money. Minister Brown is making a meal of the water reforms, dumping huge costs on the city’s balance sheet.

“There is no plan to solve congestion, or crime, and Aucklanders who struggle daily living in New Zealand’s most expensive city are feeling helpless. Auckland deserves more, and Minister Brown is failing to deliver,” said Shanan Halbert.

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The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said.

“They’re pulling the wool over New Zealanders’ eyes, making all sorts of announcements but not doing the one thing that will actually make a difference, which is build more houses,” Kieran McAnulty said.

“Housing is expensive, so they’re tinkering around making people’s lives harder instead of fronting up the cash to keep the previous Government’s house building programme going.

“Today’s proposed changes include the reintroduction of 90-day ‘no cause’ terminations for periodic tenancies and allow landlords to give notice to end a fixed-term tenancy at the end of the term without requiring a specific reason. Both of these clauses will make housing less secure for many people.

“The proposed changes will not help tenants as the Government claims. Instead it makes it easier for a landlord to evict a tenant, or take a home off the rental market.

“Just like their claims on interest deductibility which even the Prime Minister has admitted won’t see him reduce rents on his property – their claims they are helping renters are baseless.

“What we need is more houses. All we’ve seen from this government is shifting the incentive back onto competition on existing stock which will see fewer houses built and house prices climb. This will lock people into renting, which is about to become less secure.

“This will not create a well-functioning rental property market that will solve New Zealand’s housing crisis, and the proposed changes will not make it easier to be a tenant.

“This Government continues to prioritise landlords and the wealthy, not those who are waiting for emergency housing, or hoping to buy a first home,” Kieran McAnulty said.

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The action Melissa Lee promised to protect democracy and the media sector is missing, Media and Communications spokesperson Willie Jackson said.

“As the crisis in the media sector continues to unfold with the confirmed closure of Newshub, Minister for Media and Communications Melissa Lee is yet to show any sign of a plan forward,” Willie Jackson said.

“She was asked by the Prime Minster 44 days ago to urgently find a solution. Where is it?

“She might not be a magician but she is certainly a Minister and a Minister’s job is to find solutions to problems and take them to Cabinet.

“However she’s failed to do that, and the media themselves have called her attempts a ‘rookie mistake’ – because even when she did attempt to share her thoughts via a Cabinet Committee, the Deputy Prime Minister sent her back to the drawing board.

“It’s not just Melissa Lee who has failed to prioritise the media, the entire Government failed to include it in the 100 day plan, and then failed again to get any mention at all in the second quarter action plan of priorities for the Government.

“They’re like a whole bunch of middle managers, where the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. It is an utterly hopeless situation and our journalists, editors and presenters deserve more.

“Not only do they have no plan forward, but the Minister herself continues to spout buzz word waffle about what her mysterious plan actually is.

“Melissa Lee needed to front up with a plan weeks ago. She needs to pass the Fair Digital Bargaining Bill now, under urgency. She needs to get everyone in the media sector in a room and find a solution.

“Doing nothing is not an option. It is a choice. And unfortunately we have a Minister who is choosing to do very little,” Willie Jackson said.

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Tens of thousands of people are demanding the Government commits to fully funding free and healthy school lunches.  

“Our Labour Save School Lunches petition continues to grow and has now received more than 46,000 signatures,” Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said.

“Today at Parliament I have also been presented with a petition by Health Coalition Aotearoa, a group also calling for the cuts to stop and to protect lunches for kids because of the long-term benefits to their health.

“This sends an incredibly clear message to the Government and to Associate Education Minister David Seymour – the free and healthy school lunches programme must continue to be funded.

“The people who are signing these petitions are teachers, parents and principals who see the benefit of food in schools on kids’ learning, attention and engagement in the classroom.

“With all of David Seymour’s talk about attendance this week he’s still looking at cutting back a programme that is a reason some kids go to school. He mustn’t underestimate the difference a full tummy can make for a child.

“Parents and caregivers are also saving $33 per week per child, or up to $1,250 per year per child on average at schools where lunches are provided. It is exactly the kind of programme that should continue to be funded, especially right now when families are struggling with the cost of living.

“It gets more difficult by the day to understand how this Government can give a $2.9 billion tax break to landlords rather than feeding more than 200,000 kids every day.

“That sum is the equivalent of 439 million school lunches and would continue the programme for years to come.

“We continue to call on Christopher Luxon, Nicola Willis and David Seymour to act now, keep the programme and give schools and parents certainty,” Jan Tinetti said.

Sign the petition to save free and healthy school lunches here.

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Labour welcomes the Government’s U-turn on the closure of the Suicide Prevention Office, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary.

“Christopher Luxon’s point blank claims this afternoon in Question Time that the Ministry of Health’s Suicide Prevention Office will not be closed is a win for New Zealanders,” Ingrid Leary said.

“Following immense public backlash, it was a shame that health officials were forced to apologise for making cuts when they were told to do so by the Finance Minister according to her edict of 6.5 percent cuts.

“The buck should have stopped with the budget-holding Minister of Health Shane Reti who continues to avoid responsibility. Meanwhile, the Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey has been blindsided by the mishandling, and the Government has had to chaotically scramble to save face.

“If the left and the right hands were talking to each other, and costs had been worked through ‘line by line’ as promised, this mess would have been avoided.

“It is still unclear whether the Health Minister knew, why the Mental Health Minister was blindsided by his own colleagues and why the Prime Minister is being left to clean up the mess.

“We will be watching to ensure the current resourcing remains so that the Office is able to deliver for people. It cannot be reduced to a parred-back shell that doesn’t have the function to do the work it needs to,” Ingrid Leary said.

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Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders.

“There seems to be a total lack of priority by this Government towards our disabled communities and their carers,” Labour Disability Issues spokesperson Priyanca Radhakrishnan said.

“New Zealand signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2008, and a Labour Government confirmed we would progress most of the Concluding Observations.

“Now it appears Minister Simmonds delayed a report to Cabinet on those international obligations – most likely because it isn’t a priority for her or this Government, given it wasn’t part of their 100-day plan, nor does it appear to be part of her ‘second quarter’ plan,” said Priyanca Radhakrishnan.

A report to the Social Development Minister from December, released under the OIA, has a section referring to New Zealand’s obligations under the UNCRPD.

It says “Cabinet previously invited the Minister for Disability Issues to report back on agencies’ implementation progress by December 2023. We understand this will be deferred.” It then goes on to say further advice would be provided around the UN committee’s observations in early 2024.

The same paper notes that Mahi Aroha: Carer’s Strategy Action Plan 2019-2023 expires on 31 December 2023, with no signs of an extension or continued support for carers.

“Successive governments have worked hard to improve outcomes for disabled people in New Zealand, ensuring societal change through the Enabling Good Lives (EGL) approach, by introducing flexible funding to support carers and by setting up Whaikaha: the Ministry for Disabled People.

“I continue to hear from many in the disability communities who feel incredibly let down and are anxious the Government will stop work that was underway to transform the disability support system in accordance with the EGL principles.

“Penny Simmonds and Nicola Willis must give certainty on where their priorities are and reinstate funding flexibility for those who access disability support funding. They need to show they care about disabled Kiwis by at the very least having a plan for their futures,” Priyanca Radhakrishnan said.

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The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn.

Maitai school is at capacity and has had to close its roll, which is putting greater pressure on local schools and creating stress for potential students and their parents. The 10-year build plan, announced and committed to by Labour, would have meant permanent teaching spaces for current students and capacity for future roll growth.

“I am extremely concerned about this Government’s lack of action or focus on disabled communities – which is now having an impact on our local community in Nelson and the entire top of the South Island,” Nelson MP Rachel Boyack said.

“On top of having to stop taking new enrolments, Maitai School expects half of their current students to be impacted next year because of a lack of suitable learning space.

“They are currently utilising ‘satellite space’ at local schools, which is not sustainable in the long term. There is no room for these students at their ‘base’ school, which means nowhere for existing students to go, let alone new enrolments. On top of that, the current buildings are more than 50 years old.

“Disabled students have just as much of a right to education as anyone else. It is outrageous to me that the Government would choose to fund tax cuts instead of a building project that will have such a positive impact on our community here in Nelson.

“The National Government must urgently reverse this heartless decision so disabled children and young people who live at the top of the South Island can continue to learn and thrive well into the future,” Rachel Boyack said.

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