We, the general public, and the undersigned clinicians, scientists, and health professionals, call for the urgent reinstatement of basic airborne-infection-control measures—clean indoor air and appropriate airborne respiratory protection —in all healthcare settings across Aotearoa, New Zealand. These are the simplest and most effective tools to prevent avoidable illness, disability, and death among both patients and staff.  Since the withdrawal of SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 mitigations, hospitals and clinics have faced relentless outbreaks of respiratory viruses. Emergency departments are routinely operating beyond safe capacity, and senior doctors have compared recent winters to “mass-casualty situations.” [1] Aotearoa New Zealand’s “vax-and-relax” strategy has failed to protect our people. 1 in 5 children infected with COVID develop long-term symptoms. [2] Nurses and doctors have among the highest global rates of Long COVID [3], and ongoing staff illness contributes to understaffing, treatment delays, and preventable deaths. There are currently no adequate systems in place to support long COVID and post-viral disease in New Zealand, and instead, patients are met with medical gaslighting and a lack of medical and social support. [4] COVID-19 causes vascular damage and damage to every organ in the body, including the brain and heart, due to its ability to target endothelial tissues. [5] It wreaks havoc on the immune system, leading to an impaired response to future immune assaults. This has led to the rise of more severe responses to other illnesses, worsening of current conditions, outbreaks of recurrent infections (including fungal and bacterial), thus increasing pressure on emergency medical services. [6] Excuses such as "immunity debt” are not scientifically substantiated; in fact, all viruses damage rather than enhance the immune system, for example, both SARS-CoV-2 and influenza at least triple the risk of heart attacks. [7] The effects of viruses have been missed, overlooked, and minimised, leading to a culture of indifference and ignorance surrounding the impacts of catching regular viruses, including in healthcare settings and a reluctance to change following the ever-growing body of research that shows viruses can cause more significant harm than first thought.  We strongly believe that every person in Aotearoa New Zealand has a right to access safe healthcare without the risk of catching a deadly or disabling virus. This falls under our legal right to health, including access to timely and appropriate healthcare. Additionally, every healthcare worker has the right to a safe workplace and working conditions that support them to stay home when sick. [8] Treating airborne infection as a matter of “personal responsibility” violates these rights and undermines public trust. Critically, for the best prevention possible, fit-tested respirator masks (N95/FFP2 and N100/FFP3) must become the standard in all health care settings. Surgical masks are proven not to be effective against aerosolised respiratory viruses. [9] According to the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), it is a breach of health and safety standards to claim that surgical masks protect against inhaled hazards.  Like sterile surgical gloves or seatbelts, respirators and ventilation are proven life-saving norms —not restrictions on freedom, but tools that enable freedom through safety. We respectfully urge the Ministry of Health Manatū Hauora, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand and the government and other regulatory bodies in charge of these regulations to implement the following evidence-based protections: 1. Use proven mitigations to prevent the spread of respiratory and other aerosol viruses at all times.  2. The return of mandatory protections for aerosolised viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 at all times, not just during a known ward outbreak, in all clinical spaces. Including visitors, staff and patients (where medically possible). 3. Respirators, i.e N95's or equivalent, not surgical masks, are to be used as the default mask practice (this is because surgical masks are not PPE for respiratory viruses.)  4. Paid sick leave and safer staffing levels so infected staff can stay home until they are no longer infectious and are well enough to safely perform their duties. 5. Return to regular COVID testing in emergency departments and wards. Including the numbers of patients and staff catching viruses like COVID-19 in hospitals, and nationally, the number of Long Covid cases and associated pathologies.  6. Mechanical ventilation and HEPA filtration in all patient-care spaces, operated at all times rather than reactively and ensure safe CO2 levels in each space. 7. Education on the importance of masking, different types of masks, their effectiveness and the proven damaging effects of COVID-19 infections. This information needs to be shared regularly with the public. 8. Increase funding, clinical care and community support for Long Covid and associated pathologies such as ME/CFS, POTS, Cognitive issues and more.  (Please read the full letter for all details and recommendations) Health is a collective responsibility. Allowing uncontrolled viral spread threatens not only individual lives but the sustainability of the entire health system. By restoring clean-air standards and airborne viral protection, Aotearoa can once again lead the world in compassionate, science-based public health. A final note to anyone in healthcare, you do not need to wait for another mandate to start masking with the best tools we have to protect yourself and patients and the community today.  Thank you! From Mask Up NZ in association with Aotearoa Covid Action. This petition is dedicated to Alice Wong, Leslie Lee III, and anyone who has lost their lives or had their health impacted by viral spread in a health care setting. (contact: [email protected]) References [1] https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360816342/ [2] https://doi.org/10.1111/jpc.70104 [3] https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqae113 [4] https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/577991/ [5] https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.9540 [6] https://whn.global/scientific/the-long-term-immune-effects-of-covid/ [7] https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.125.042670 [8] https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2015/0070/latest/DLM5976660.html [9] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(24)00192-0/fulltext  

Dear Minister Simeon Brown We write to you as transgender and takatāpui young people of Aotearoa New Zealand to ask you to reconsider your decision to ban the use of puberty blockers (gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues) by transgender young people.   To be transgender or takatāpui is a taonga. To deny our young people access to life-saving medication on the basis of an imported culture war is cruel and abhorrent. Trans young people are some of our most at-risk youth. Not because of who they are, but because of how our society treats them for something they have no control over.    Denying our rangatahi an effective medication that gives them the time to discover who they are is needlessly cruel. According to Counting Ourselves 2022, 77% of trans people experience high or very high psychological distress, compared to just 12% of the general population. When compared to the fact that 95% of trans youth have a positive impact on their mental health from the use of puberty blockers, how could such a vital medical intervention be ignored?     This decision is an infringement on human rights and medical autonomy, as stated by Te Kāhui Tika Tangata The Human Rights Commission. Denying access to essential healthcare for trans and takatāpui youth is going to cause unnecessary harm and distress to not just young people but to their whanau as well. The fact that it is only our gender diverse youth that are denied this care, and not the general population, is clear discrimination designed to target our most vulnerable.   We urge you to reconsider your decision and put our young people’s health ahead of politics. Sincerely Lauren Craig & Ngahuru Autumn Brown

Explanation for the Coronial Reform Petition. On 2 August 2020, our family lost a loved one while he was in police custody. We entered the coronial process seeking clarity, accountability, and honest answers about the circumstances that led to his death. Instead, we discovered a system marked by silence, delay, and limited transparency. Key information was difficult to access, critical evidence was incomplete or disputed, and the pathway to a reopening was unclear and dependent on discretion rather than consistent standards. Our family’s experience is not isolated. Across Aotearoa, many whānau who lose loved ones in sudden, unexpected, or police-related circumstances remain trapped in the same uncertainty — grieving without answers, and living with unresolved questions that could be clarified through a fair, timely, and transparent coronial process. When essential information is withheld or delayed, when evidence remains untested, and when decisions are made without full disclosure, families are left without closure and justice is left unfinished. This petition calls for reform because the current system does not adequately protect families or uphold public confidence. We need a coronial process where: • full disclosure is guaranteed, • decisions on reopening are timely and transparent, • independent review safeguards are in place, and • every family, regardless of their background or circumstances, has a clear and equitable path to answers. Families should not have to fight for basic information about how their loved one died. They should not be left carrying the burden of uncertainty for years. Reform is necessary because unanswered questions prolong trauma, undermine trust, and prevent genuine accountability in cases where state agencies are involved. This petition is not just about one family or one date. It is about ensuring that every death investigated by the coronial system is treated with the dignity, fairness, and transparency that whānau deserve. For the sake of those who have died in unreasonable circumstances — and for the families who continue to wait for truth — this system needs change. Reform is overdue, and the voices of affected families must finally be heard.

I care deeply about this issue because I have seen firsthand how ACC delays, lost documents, and repeated administrative failures cause real harm to ordinary New Zealanders. The image above is the beginning of our story — a child fighting for life while a system meant to protect us repeatedly failed. Our petition speaks not only for her, but for every whānau still trying to survive the consequences of ACC’s neglect. When decisions take months or years, families are left without income, without treatment, and without answers. These are not isolated mistakes — they are systemic failures affecting people from every region and every background. No New Zealander should suffer financially or emotionally because an agency did not meet its basic responsibilities. Timely decisions and clear accountability are not luxuries; they are the foundation of a fair and trustworthy public system.  This reform is about ensuring that every person in Aotearoa is treated with dignity, urgency, and justice.

Aotearoa should be a place where everyone, regardless of their background, is respected and part of a vibrant connected community. Where everyone feels a sense of belonging and knows their children will feel the same. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the blueprint to making this future a reality, it guides us to live peacefully and respectfully together so that everyone can thrive. It is vital that our children learn the importance of honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and continue fostering respectful and reciprocal relationships between tāngata whenua and tāngata Tiriti (people of Te Tiriti). Education is where Te Tiriti o Waitangi is made real for every generation. Section 127 of the Education and Training Act ensures that schools, early learning services and tertiary institutions give effect to Te Tiriti — shaping how our children learn about identity, belonging, and partnership. Removing this section is not a technical change — it is a step backwards. It erases the Crown’s responsibility to honour Te Tiriti in the one place every child in Aotearoa passes through: our education system. Te Tiriti is not an add-on; it is the foundation of how we work together as iwi and Crown for the wellbeing of all tamariki. We call on the Government to retain Section 127 and reaffirm its commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in education.

Everyone in Aotearoa deserves to be housed; this is a basic human right. People should have agency over their housing, and it should be designed to be fully accessible. This would strengthen communities in Ōtautahi, as people will be able to put down roots and build connection. It will support our whānau to thrive, and provide the stability needed for a thriving city where everyone can live a decent life. Successive governments have failed to ensure everyone in our community has suitable housing or any housing at all. Now, the National-led Government has cancelled Kāinga Ora developments, plan to sell off state housing and make it less available to our communities. This will lead to more people living in unaffordable and unsuitable private rentals, in their cars and on the streets. It also means that state-owned land will be privatised that should otherwise be returned to hapū and iwi for Māori housing solutions. In Ōtautahi we have: - 1500+ households on the Housing Register  - 6753+ people experiencing Severe Housing Deprivation (homelessness) *Census 2023 (grown since data was collected) And still, this National-led government has decided to cancel 25 developments, 373 homes that were in the pipeline, that would've housed whānau in need in Ōtautahi. They are also selling state homes to the private market The Government says it is supporting Community Housing Providers (CHPs) to play a bigger role in social housing provision, yet it expects to fund only 70 new CHP homes in Ōtautahi by 2027, and only four have been delivered so far. We know from our own history and from overseas research, that when governments play a bigger role in providing decent and suitable housing, we as a country lay the foundation for thriving communities. We have built state housing at scale as a solution before, and we can do it again. The people of Ōtautahi who are living without shelter or safe and affordable homes need our community to stand in solidarity to save our state housing. We need all 373 Kaianga Ora houses to be built. We are calling on Minister for Housing, Chris Bishop; Minister for Māori Development, Tama Potaka; MP for Ilam, Hamish Campbell; MP for Christchurch Central, Duncan Webb; MP for Christchurch East, Reuben Davidson; MP for Banks Peninsula, Vanessa Weenink; MP for Wigram, Megan Woods to advocate for the people of our communities to ensure that everyone has a decent, stable and accessible home, and to stop the sell off.

Every family deserves to know their child is safe, nurtured, and receiving high-quality education the moment they walk through the doors of any licensed early childhood service. Yet, the Government is swinging a wrecking ball through early childhood education — slashing essential regulatory requirements and rushing through a wave of potentially harmful changes under urgency.  These reforms put profit motives and the interests of service providers ahead of children and weaken the safeguards that give parents and caregivers trust and peace of mind.  Let’s remind the Prime Minister, ministers of finance and education, the House of Representatives and the world that we don’t cut corners on our kids no matter what. Not here in Aotearoa. Not ever…    👉 See our full article on why this petition is necessary  👉 Follow our Facebook page for updates Sign the petition and tell the Government: • Put children first ❤️  • Stop harmful ECE reforms   • Strengthen safety, quality, and accountability now!

The Department of Corrections is failing to provide basic necessities like hygienic bedding, underwear, socks, shoes and thermals. This is a breach of human rights and a failure to care for those in state care. We demand that the Department of Corrections does better. People Against Prisons Aotearoa has been supporting prisoners individually with these needs, but as the situation worsens it has become apparent that work needs to be done to ensure that all prisoners receive appropriate clothing as a necessary part of Corrections custody. In the 2024/2025 year, PAPA provided people in prison with: • 240 pairs of underwear • 255 pairs of socks • 111 pairs of shoes  • 102 thermals.  In general, the requests PAPA have been receiving are because: necessary items are not being provided at all, the number of items provided isn’t sufficient for hygienic purposes or because the quality of these items doesn’t meet people’s basic needs. Why does Corrections not face legal consequences for failing its responsibilities to keep prisoners clean and warm?  Corrections need to start doing their job. People Against Prisons Aotearoa will no longer be responsible for patching holes left by the Department of Corrections failing to meet its legal obligations, and a Government that fails to address this! We need you and the people of Aotearoa New Zealand to help us demand the Department of Corrections do their jobs and fulfil their legal responsibility. *image by Min Iles

We oppose the amendments because they will: • Override Treaty principles that protect the integrity of all Treaty-based mechanisms. • Undermine Treaty articles on protection and partnership.  • Deprive all whānau, hapu and iwi of their legal rights to the marine and coastal environment. • Strip Māori of the kaitiaki status required to safeguard our marine and coastal ecosystems from environmentally hazardous development. • Require a level of control over coastal areas that is incompatible with tikanga Māori, and impossible to achieve due to the historical disruption through colonisation.

We all want Aotearoa New Zealand to be a place where everyone can thrive. Certainly a place where survivors of abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions can thrive. We know that what has happened to the estimated 250,000 vulnerable adults, children, and babies is a “national disgrace” according to Judge Coral Shaw, former Chair of the Abuse in Care Royal Commision of Inquiry.  The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Final Report, Whanaketia: Through pain and trauma, from darkness to light, was very clear: “"As an immediate priority, the government and faith-based institutions should implement the 95 recommendations in the Inquiry’s interim report on redress, He Purapura Ora, he Māra Tipu: From Redress to Puretumu Torowhānui (2021), together with the recommendations of the design group, subject to any further recommendations made in this report." [1]” The Interim Report, He Purapura Ora, he Māra Tipu from Redress to Puretumu Torowhānui, has 95 Holistic Recommendations to improve the current redress systems (Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Health, Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for Children and Ministry of Education) for survivors of abuse in care [2].  Summary of the redress recommendations are: • expansion of oranga, or wellbeing, services and support services for survivors and their whānau; • increased financial payments for survivors; • training for those working with survivors; • enactment of a right to be free from abuse in care, as well as a duty to protect this right; • an exception to accident compensation legislation; • improvements to the handling of survivors’ requests for records, including as few redactions of survivors’ records as possible; and,  • a review of record-creation and record-keeping practices. On the 12th of November 2024, the Prime Minister, RT Hon. Christopher Luxon,  finally and formally apologized to survivors of abuse in State and Faith-based care. He apologized to survivors for the horrific and harrowing abuse they have experienced while in care, he apologized to their family and whānau and he outlined some steps that the Government will take to address the Final Report of the Inquiry. He said: “"But I want to assure you it is our intention to have a new single redress system operating next year." [3]” On the 9th of May 2025, the Lead Coordination Minister, Hon. Erica Stanford announced changes to the redress system for abuse in care survivors. She announced: • Increasing the average redress payments for new claims from $19,180 to $30,000; • Providing for higher payments for the survivors who experienced the most egregious abuse; • Providing “top up” payments of 50% to survivors who have already settled claims to ensure consistency with increased payments for new claims; • Introducing a common payments framework so that survivors receive the same financial redress for similar experiences of abuse, regardless of where in state care that abuse occurred; • Increase system capacity to process claims from 1,350 to 2,150 per year from 2027 to reduce wait times for current claimants; • Implementing a seamless service so that survivors with claims with multiple agencies have those claims managed by one point of contact; • Introducing a single-entry point for survivors wanting to register new claims; • Introducing an independent review for people who are unhappy with their redress offer; and • Funding for redress agencies to provide survivors with access to supports and services.  She said: ““I acknowledge that a key recommendation of both the Royal Commission and the Redress Design Group was for a new independent redress entity. “The Government was faced with a difficult choice: do we spend more time and money on setting up a new scheme, or do we provide more to survivors now through the current redress process? “For Budget 25 we have prioritised improving the current system as quickly as possible for survivors and investing in changes that have a direct impact for them." [4]” To date, the Government has only implemented 28 of the 135 recommendations from the Abuse in Care Inquiry that relate to the Government. [6]   These reports from the inquiry shed light on the harrowing and horrific experiences that survivors faced while in the care of the state and faith-based institutions, and emphasise the profound impact that abuse has had on survivors’ lives. Now is the time for action: for people across Aotearoa to come together and be part of the process that ensures that survivors in Aotearoa can thrive.  By signing this petition, you are standing up for the rights of survivors and sending a clear message to the Crown: They have a duty of care to survivors, and a duty to implement a new single redress agency and implement all of the recommendations from the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry. Together, let's ensure that survivors are supported.  Join us in this crucial fight by signing the petition today and spreading the word to your friends, family, and community. Together, we can make a difference and safeguard the future of care and help survivors of abuse in State and Faith-based Care to thrive.  _________ References: 1 - https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/reports/whanaketia 2 - https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/reports/from-redress-to-puretumu/ 3 - https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/11/12/full-text-of-prime-ministers-apology-for-abuse-in-care/ 4 - https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/budget-2025-invests-care-system-and-improving-redress-survivors-abuse-state-care 5 -  https://www.abuseinquiryresponse.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Proactive-release/Putahi-te-mauri-he-wai-ora-e-Redress-design-proposals-1.pdf 6 - https://www.abuseinquiryresponse.govt.nz/about-us/official-information/information-releases/cabinet-papers-and-minutes/proactive-release-of-decisions-about-the-governments-response

Shifting Public Expectations vs Outdated Law There is a growing gap between modern views of consent (especially among youth) and what our laws say. Schools and public discourse now emphasize that consent must be active and affirmative – that a “hesitant or reluctant” response is not true consent. Yet legal practice still often treats such behavior as consenting. Juries have been told that reluctant consent “is still consent”, directly contradicting how consent is taught in schools. HELP Auckland captured this sentiment at the petition launch: our youth are demanding a law that reflects the principle of “free and voluntary agreement”. Unless the law is updated to match contemporary understanding, we send a confusing message: that societal norms around respectful intimacy count for nothing once a case goes to trial. Current Political Context Since the 2023 election, progress on consent law reform has stalled. The new Coalition government has so far taken only a narrow step by amending the law to protect children under 12. Unfortunately, no similar initiative has been announced for older teens or for defining consent itself.  Call to Action This reform has been called for repeatedly, supported by the public, and even acknowledged across political parties, but no government has yet made it a priority. Without prioritisation, change will never happen. Survivors will continue to be failed, and a broken system will remain in place. Parliament must enact an affirmative definition of consent — one based on free and voluntary agreement — and address age-based loopholes that allow predators to exploit teenagers. The Justice Select Committee has already given us a roadmap for change, and it is imperative that lawmakers follow through. A reformed consent law, shaped by survivors’ experiences, will better protect young people and demonstrate that Aotearoa’s legal standards match the values of its people. We call on the government to put this issue back on the agenda now, rather than delaying it further. To read our full letter, click on this link. If you would like to sign on behalf of your organisation, and add your logo as an organisational signatory, please contact Imogen Stone at [email protected].

Every person in Aotearoa should be able to enrol and vote safely, without fear that being on the electoral roll could put them or their whānau at risk. Enrolling should protect people’s right to participate in democracy while also upholding their personal safety and wellbeing.  Currently, the electoral roll in Aotearoa is public, meaning names and addresses are openly accessible. For many people, including survivors of violence or those with past convictions, this creates real safety risks. While the hidden (unpublished) roll exists, it is very hard to access and requires extensive proof of current risk. This leaves many vulnerable people unprotected. It also undermines whānau throughout Aotearoa who don’t have the financial stability to get legal representation to support their application. For example, my dad (an ex-prisoner) didn’t feel safe enrolling in 2023. He applied for the hidden roll but was denied, even though he was genuinely worried people from his past could find him and put him and our family at risk. This could be achieved by: • Expanding access to the hidden roll by broadening eligibility so people with credible past risks can apply.  • Making the application process faster, clearer, and easier to understand.  • Ensuring decisions are made quickly, with clear reasons if denied. • Create a simple, accessible appeals process for those turned down.