Category: Politics

The Government’s latest change to the Employment Relations Act has no justification apart from making it easier to sack employees without having to follow due process.

“The Minister of Workplace Relations clearly is more interested in protecting the rights of big business rather than employees,” Labour workplace relations spokesperson Camilla Belich said.

“Regardless of how much someone earns, everyone deserves fairness and due process. This is a dangerous change that will leave workers with no ability to raise a grievance if they are unjustifiably dismissed, unfairly treated, or discriminated against for a protected reason, like pregnancy. 

“Brooke van Velden’s war on workers has already seen this Government move to reduce sick leave, rush to reinstate 90-day trials and scrap Fair Pay Agreements. It is also unclear how this will impact part-time workers; will this change be pro-rated and affect those on lower incomes?

“There is also no acknowledgment of the fact that as wages grow over time, a greater percentage of workers will be affected by this fire at will policy. 

“National and ACT are choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights that have been hard fought for by generations of workers that have gone before,” Camilla Belich said.

Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Early childhood education needs to be treated as a public good, say Labour, the Green Party, and Te Pāti Māori in their newly released report of findings from public hearings they held into the Government’s ECE Regulatory Review.

The hearings, held in August and September, arose out of concern from early childhood kaiako and kaimahi and from the community that the Government’s sector review could bring about sweeping change, serving corporate and business interests rather children and those working in the profession.

Labour’s education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says it’s clear that early childhood education is a public good, as it sets the foundations for the rest of a child’s life.

“The role early childhood education plays in a child’s life is immense. What happens in their early years including how they learn affects them forever.

“ECE should not be used as a commercial opportunity to make a profit at the expense of the wellbeing and quality of education for tamariki and the working conditions of those who teach them.

“There are two competing visions for early childhood in Aotearoa New Zealand, what we found through our public hearings was that the majority of those we spoke with want a sector that is of the highest quality so tamariki can thrive and grow.”

The report highlights the need for regulation to protect from privatisation and diminished standards and working conditions, recommendations for tamariki wellbeing, fair and adequate funding, recognition of the unique status and autonomy of Kōhanga and Puna Reo.

Tākuta Ferris, education spokesperson for Te Pāti Māori, says the need to prioritise tamariki Māori came across strongly.

“We need to continue to invest in Reo Māori education in every community, including training for kaimahi Māori in all early immersion services, like Kōhanga Reo and Puna Reo.

The Green Party’s early childhood education spokesperson Teanau Tuiono emphasised culturally responsive education should be available to all tamariki, with Government having a responsibility to make sure the necessary resources were available to all early childhood education centres:

“Child-centred, culturally responsive early childhood education is the foundation for a future that sees our tamariki thrive. By properly resourcing our kaiako to provide quality education, we give our youngest learners the tools to navigate life with confidence, empathy, and a deep sense of belonging, empowering them to reach their full potential.

“To do this well, we must engage with our Māori, Pasifika, and migrant communities to ensure education reflects their values, aspirations and ultimately, their needs.

“These voices matter. We’ve heard, loud and clear, from our kaiako, whānau and wider communities during this consultation process: any decisions about early childhood education must hold the needs and well-being of children at the heart of every policy and every practice.”

“Labour, The Greens and Te Pāti Māori want to ensure early childhood kaiako and kaimahi and their communities can have their voices heard. The issues they have raised have a huge impact on our collective future as a nation – early childhood education not only needs to be public good but for all decisions about the sector made with a child-centric lens.”

Click here to read the report

Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Massive cuts across Health New Zealand/Te Whatu Ora demonstrate National’s willingness to risk the health of New Zealanders.

“Without a functioning well resourced Public Health Service, data and digital services, and services that support Māori and Pacific communities, the health of New Zealanders will suffer,” said Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall.

“We are currently experiencing a whooping cough epidemic in New Zealand and are at risk of a measles outbreak, and they’re cutting public health services. None of this makes sense.

“It looks like New Zealanders’ health takes second place to tax cuts.

“Health Minister Dr Shane Reti would’ve seen same the same advice as I did, that IT services at Te Whatu Ora were on the brink, and this level of cuts will put continuity of services and New Zealanders’ health information at risk. 

“In the Government’s quest to cut nearly $2 billion from Te Whatu Ora’s budget, they are risking more epidemics, less equitable health outcomes for Māori and Pacific people, and stripping out the workforce that keeps our health system running.

“Today, Dr Reti congratulated hauora Māori providers for their vaccination work in the community, while at the same time, Te Whatu Ora will cut Māori and Pacific health workers. After abolishing Te Aka Whai Ora/the Māori Health Authority, he is still trying to cut services for Māori.

“The Government found money to give tobacco companies a tax break but are cutting back on funding for Māori health. By making these huge cuts, they are taking New Zealanders’ health backwards,” said Ayesha Verrall.

Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

The Government’s decision to push for significant fare increases on buses and trains over the next few years is a huge blow to communities across the country.

“Raising fares by up to 70 percent will hit families, students, and workers who rely on public transport daily. Public transport should be affordable for everyone, not an extra financial burden,” Labour transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere said.

“The Government’s already scrapped Labour’s free and half-price transport for children and young people, and now it’s clear they have no real plan to properly fund our public transport system.

“In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and a climate emergency, these fare hikes make it harder for people to choose affordable, sustainable transport options.

“Simeon Brown is out of touch with everyday New Zealanders. Forcing people who have no alternative but to use public transport to now bear the brunt of their budget shortfalls is simply wrong.

“The Government must prioritise public transport funding to ensure it works for everyone—providing affordable, reliable options that also help protect our planet,” Tangi Utikere said.

Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Climate action is missing from the list of things National is patting themselves on the back for one year on from becoming government.

“You won’t see anything about climate as National marks a year in government, because they know they’re failing. All Christopher Luxon has done is talk and take New Zealand backwards,” Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said.

“National has undone years of progress to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for a climate-resilient future.

“This lack of action will leave our country more exposed to extreme weather and takes us further away from the jobs a low-carbon, sustainable future would provide.

“National is failing to meet the climate challenge – they know it and the world knows it.

“National has dismantled programmes that were making a difference; work that Labour was doing to reduce emissions, help big emitters quit fossil fuels, make electric vehicles more affordable, and help transition to renewable energy. National has also kicked the can down the road by removing agriculture from the ETS and delaying pricing.

“The Government is doing nothing to meet its goal of doubling renewable energy.

Other things National has done to wind back climate action:

• scrapped $3 billion in climate-related work in the Budget
• whittled down Warmer Kiwi Homes
• ended the Climate Emergency Response Fund
• initiated a review on methane emissions when the science is already set
• reversed the ban on oil and gas exploration
• introduced the first-track legislation which allows the override of environmental laws
• scrapped a fund that enabled the renewable energy market

“At home, the Climate Change Commission has sounded the alarm over the Government’s policies and pointed out we’re at risk of missing our climate goals.  

“National must listen to the climate experts and take action on climate change that’s not just hot air,” Chris Hipkins said.

Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.