Restoring this vital rail link would benefit over 750,000 people by providing an affordable and accessible alternative to air travel and long-distance coaches, which older and disabled passengers often find inaccessible. It would reduce reliance on private vehicles, improving road safety. Reintroducing this service would boost regional economies, uplift tourism in one of New Zealand’s most beautiful and under-served regions, and build a more connected and equitable transport network for all.

Aotearoa should be a place where people are encouraged and supported by their government to engage in democratic processes. Where usage of plain language in documents is encouraged, and people have the ability to understand their rights within seconds no matter where they come from or what their background is.  Right now our government has chosen to treat accessible language differently to other equitable measures by excluding Plain Language from their budget.  Although plain language is a less tangible concept, the importance of it to people across Aotearoa is no less vital than having wheelchair ramps in public buildings, or sign language interpreters during emergency broadcasts. Simple, easy to read language helps our more vulnerable groups in Aotearoa to receive fair treatment in all sectors of government.  Over 1.3 million adult New Zealanders have low literacy/numeracy skills, with Māori and Pacific peoples significantly overrepresented in this group. This leads to higher barriers in employment, health, income, and civic engagement for these communities[1].  Furthermore, up to 10% of New Zealanders have communication issues, including difficulties that directly affect reading, writing, or understanding official information. There are also more than 11,530 children with swallowing difficulties, 95,000 people with autism, and 60,000 children with auditory processing disorder, all conditions that can impact effective engagement with complex or non-plain language content[2].   Plain language is also a vital tool for older generations, many of whom are navigating digital systems and filling out important forms independently, often without someone to assist them. Keeping Plain Language requirements in legislation means everyone is considered when the government publishes information.  By taking it away, the government is forgetting why it was put into place: to keep all of us in the loop.  No one should have to spend hours filling out and decoding benefit forms, immigration forms, justice information, or health information. The budget we pay for should work for us, too.  Now is the time for us to take action that will protect our most marginalised brothers and sisters. Action that allows for everyone to be part of the conversation, and puts equitable care at the heart of our government's services.  References: 1. An Empirical Portrait of New Zealand Adults Living With Low Literacy and Numeracy Skills. AUT NZ Pathways Research Institute. 2022: https://nzpri.aut.ac.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/522827/An-empirical-portrait-of-New-Zealand-adults-living-with-low-literacy-and-numeracy-skills_report.pdf 2. Communication and Swallowing Disabilities in New Zealand: Data Fact Sheet 2023. Speech-language Therapists New Zealand. 2023: https://speechtherapy.org.nz/assets/Uploads/SLT-Business-Case-2024/Communication-and-Swallowing-Disabilities-in-New-Zealand-Data-Fact-Sheet.pdf?vid=4

No matter who we are, or where we come from, we all deserve to live a life of dignity, free of pain and struggle. A life where we are believed and we have access to the care that we need. However, there are thousands of us every day who live in the abrupt edges of medical understanding and right now, there are far too many women, girls, and people assigned female at birth are being dismissed, misdiagnosed, or denied access to the care and support they need. [3][6]. At least one in seven women, girls, and people assigned female at birth in Aotearoa live with endometriosis (mate kirikopu), a chronic and often disabling inflammatory condition that causes pelvic pain, fatigue, infertility, and damage to multiple organs [1][10]. Despite this, most with endometriosis (mate kirikopu)are not being taken seriously by our health system. The national endometriosis (mate kirikopu) guidelines, last released in 2020 by the Ministry of Health, were never intended to be formal clinical guidance [11]. They are not mandatory, they are missing key protections, and they are letting them fall through the cracks. The current guidelines are not fit for purpose, they are outdated, non-binding, and were never designed to function as formal clinical guidelines. In practice, this leaves women, girls, and people assigned female at birth with endometriosis (mate kirikopu) facing inconsistent care, delayed diagnoses, and limited access to the treatment they need to live full, healthy lives. The current guidance lacks clear timeframes for action, formal referral pathways, youth-specific approaches, accountability mechanisms, and adequate inclusion of Māori, Pasifika, LGBTQIA+, and disabled communities. Too often, those with endometriosis (mate kirikopu) are passed between GPs and emergency departments for years without answers. The average time to diagnosis in Aotearoa is still 7 to 10 years [2][7]. That means they are missing school, losing jobs, giving up dreams of having tamariki, or falling into depression and isolation before they are even believed [3][5][6]. For marginalised groups, the situation is even worse. Young people, Māori, Pasifika, disabled and gender-diverse people are more likely to be dismissed, misdiagnosed, or denied access to care. [3][6]. That means many healthcare providers don’t follow it, and there are no consequences when patients are ignored, misdiagnosed, or left untreated. We need more than just suggestions. We need mandatory, enforceable standards that every health provider in Aotearoa must follow. We need guidelines that uphold mana, affirm lived experience, and work for all, not just a privileged few who can afford private care or know how to fight the system. Studies show that: • The impacts of Endometriosis (mate kirikopu) go far beyond physical pain, impacting mental health, daily functioning, and overall wellbeing with those affected • Up to 98% of women, girls, and people assigned female at birth with endometriosis (mate kirikopu) experience symptoms of depression, and around 87% experience anxiety [1]. These mental health struggles are often made worse by diagnostic delays, medical gaslighting, and lack of access to effective treatment and support [2][3]. • Women, girls, and people assigned female at birth with endometriosis (mate kirikopu) report a significantly reduced quality of life compared to the general population, especially in the areas of physical function, emotional wellbeing, sexual health, and work productivity [4][5]. This is not just due to pain, but also the psychological toll of being dismissed, misdiagnosed, or ignored by the healthcare system [3][6]. • Research also shows that youth with endometriosis (mate kirikopu)-like symptoms are often told their pain is normal, resulting in long-term harm to mental health, school attendance, and body trust [7]. Without guidelines that address these impacts holistically and offer clear, equitable pathways to care, women, girls, and people assigned female at birth will continue to fall through the cracks. We need guidelines that work in real life, not just on paper. A community-led review by Endo Warriors Aotearoa and our Youth Advisory Board outlines how the current guidance fails us. It shows the harm caused by relying on hormonal contraception as the default treatment [3] [6], how hard it is to access skilled excision surgery [2] [7], and how little support exists for holistic or culturally grounded pain management [3].  He wā tēnei. It is time. Sign the petition today and stand with our hāpori to demand a new standard of care for endometriosis (mate kirikopu) in Aotearoa, a new standard that embeds lived experience, Māori and Pasifika voices, youth insight, and gender diversity into every part of care, a health system that believes us, supports us, and works for us.  References: [1] Armour, M., et al. (2019). The prevalence and impact of endometriosis symptoms on quality of life among young women: a cross-sectional study. BJOG, 126(6), 755–759. [2] Ballard, K., Lowton, K., & Wright, J. (2006). What’s the delay? A qualitative study of women’s experiences of reaching a diagnosis of endometriosis. Fertility and Sterility, 86(5), 1296–1301. [3] Culley, L., et al. (2018). The social and psychological impact of endometriosis on women’s lives: A critical narrative review. Human Reproduction Update, 24(6), 625–639. [4] Riazi, H., et al. (2014). Clinical diagnosis of pelvic endometriosis: a scoping review. BMC Women’s Health, 14(1), 73. [5] Jones, G., Jenkinson, C., & Kennedy, S. (2004). The impact of endometriosis on quality of life: a qualitative study. BJOG, 111(4), 410–418. [6] Denny, E., & Mann, C. H. (2007). Endometriosis and the primary care consultation. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol, 132(2), 224–228. [7] Missmer, S. A., et al. (2014). Incidence of laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis by demographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle factors. Am J Epidemiol, 179(6), 721–730. [8] Missmer, S. A., et al. (2014). Incidence of laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis by demographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle factors. Am J Epidemiol, 179(6), 721–730. [9] Zhang, T., et al. (2020). The link between endometriosis and autoimmune diseases. Frontiers in Immunology, 11, 339. [10] Ministry of Health. (2020). Diagnosis and Management of Endometriosis in New Zealand. Wellington: Ministry of Health. “While not a formal clinical guideline, it provides a consensus view of best-practice principles.” (p. 2)

Having a stable home is the foundation for a good life – it supports us to build connections with people and places. It creates the conditions for us to be able to connect and contribute to our communities. But successive governments have not done enough to make sure everyone in our community has suitable housing. Now, the National-led Government plans to sell off state housing, has cancelled developments already underway and will 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. In the Waitematā Local Board (Auckland Central) area: • Auckland Council counted 809 “unsheltered homeless” living in the city in May 2025, a 90 percent increase since September 2024[1] • The number of households on the Housing Register for Waitematā is 195 (as of June 25)[2] • There are many more people living in housing stress, who are not on the Housing Register or visibly homeless. At the time of Census 2023 there were 2,517 people living in Severe Housing Deprivation in the Waitematā area[3] • A diverse range of people live and work here, not just the well off  • Vincent Street is a Kāinga Ora development for 53 homes which has been cancelled. This development would have provided decent and stable housing, close to amenities We know from our own history and from overseas, that when governments play a bigger role in building and providing decent and suitable housing, we lay the foundation for thriving communities. We have built state housing at scale as a solution before, and we can do it again.  We are calling on decision makers to ensure that everyone in Auckland Central has a decent and stable home. Restarting the planning and construction of cancelled developments like Vincent Street as soon as possible is what we need to be doing to ensure this happens. References: 1. Auckland’s homelessness has almost doubled, says council report. The Post, 28 July 2025 2. MSD Housing Register. MSD, June 2025 3. Severe Housing Deprivation. Aotearoa Data Explorer. StatsNZ 

No matter who we are, or where we come from, people across Aotearoa deserve somewhere safe and dignified to call home. As house prices sky rocket, Aotearoa is plunged deeper into the housing crisis created by this Government, Kāinga Ora have rolled back their commitment to deliver social housing in Rangitata.[1] These homes are desperately needed for our most vulnerable citizens - more and more of whom are forced into rough sleeping as they're priced out of the private rental market and emergency housing options are stripped away. Our construction sector also needs the work it will bring in; over the past year we've lost close to a thousand local jobs with the closing of Alliance Smithfield and the loss of the Antarctica contract as examples, and the recession making times rougher across the board for everyone. We’re calling on you as our representative to ensure Kāinga Ora stays true to their commitment to the Grey Road/Arthur Street development, and to show up for your constituents when it matters not just at campaign time. References: [1] Kāinga Ora cans hundreds of social housing building projects after review, takes up to $180m hit - NZ Herald 

Everyone is entitled to live with justice and dignity, this includes Palestinians.  These rights are often protected by both national and international laws. Israel is occupying and colonising Palestinian land, discriminating against Palestinians working in Israeli society, and denying Palestinian refugees the right to return to their homes.  While political leaders and governments shirk their obligations, far too many corporate entities have profited from Israel’s economy of illegal occupation, apartheid and now, genocide. “It’s time for businesses to cut ties with Israel. The very fact of engaging in something that concerns and translates into economic gain and profits, it’s problematic, lest, companies and their executives are ready to face responsibility and even criminal liability”  - Francesca P. Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories  While the government is stalling on imposing sanctions on Israel, we the people will use our consumer power to “push for better” and de-shelve SodaStream from all retailers around the motu.  Why SodaStream Historical Complicity SodaStream’s first factory was built over the remains of seven destroyed Palestinian villages in the illegal settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, in the occupied West Bank. Settlements like Ma'ale Adumim, and companies operating in them, are illegal under international law. In 2014, under constant pressure from the global Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, SodaStream shut down its West Bank factory. This was a big win. However, SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum claimed: “We are not giving in to the boycott. We are Zionist."  He framed the move as a cost-saving decision, despite accusing the BDS campaign of hurting opportunities for Palestinian workers.  New Factory, Still Profiting from Apartheid  After leaving the West Bank, in 2015 SodaStream relocated to the Idan Industrial Zone in the Naqab (Negev) desert. This is land that Israel confiscated from Palestinian Bedouin communities in the 1950s. That is, SodaStream is still implicated in settler colonial dynamics — just in a different region. The SodaStream factory is located near the city of Rahat where many Palestinian Bedouins were forcibly relocated. Today, Palestinian Bedouins live under constant threat of displacement by the Israeli state. Across the Naqab, hundreds of Palestinian homes are demolished every year, with the second-highest number of them occurring in Rahat. (176 in 2022 alone). These home demolitions as well as systematic exclusion from basic infrastructure and services, all contribute to Israel's long-term plan to remove them from their land and traditional practices. SodaStream and other Israeli and international companies receive government financial incentives and subsidies when they base their factories in the Naqab region. The region has been designated a ‘national priority area’ in accordance with Israel’s ten-year “National Strategic Plan for the Negev”, designed to tighten the Israeli state’s hold on the region, and vastly increase the Israeli population there.  SodaStream can thus be seen as an instrument of Israel’s plan to remove indigenous people from their land through urbanisation and industrialisation. Exploitation of Palestinian Workers Over 100,000 Palestinians work in Israel and settlements—because their own economy is strangled by occupation and Israeli labour laws are not fairly applied to Palestinian workers. A 2022 report by Kav LaOved (an Israeli workers' rights NGO) found that many Palestinian workers face wage theft, unsafe working conditions, denial of health care or accident compensation, long hours without rest or proper documentation. SodaStream uses its employment of Palestinians as a public relations tool, portraying itself as a “coexistence” model while hiding the broader apartheid context that underlies the company’s operation, and which created those economic dependencies in the first place.   BDS Works! We’ve seen SodaStream shutdown its illegal factory in the Occupied West Bank due to BDS pressure. In the UK, we recently saw The Co-operative Group vote to remove Israeli products from its shelves. McDonald’s has missed sales targets, Starbucks slashed its annual sales forecast after a slump in growth, Turkey’s parliament voted to remove Coke from the shops and restaurants on its grounds - we can use our collective consumer power to create change. References: https://www.whoprofits.org/publications/report/120 https://electronicintifada.net/content/new-sodastream-factory-could-help-destroy-bedouin-agriculture/13182 https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2015/9/25/sodastream-factory-shows-palestinian-bedouins-plight  https://www.bdsmovement.net/news/sodastream-close-illegal-settlement-factory-response-growing-boycott-campaign https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/03/27/471885452/when-500-palestinians-lose-their-jobs-at-sodastream-whos-to-blame

As student associations, we’ve had countless students share their struggles with us. A common story is that they’re having to choose between paying for transport to their place of study or covering essential costs like rent or food. That is simply not good enough. Every student deserves to access education without the burden of wondering how they’ll afford to get there. With rising tuition fees and living costs, transport should not be another barrier to success. This change would ease a major financial pressure and help ensure students can stay in school and thrive. The Bigger Picture: We imagine a city where education is genuinely accessible, where no student misses class because they can’t afford the bus or train. Right now, this vision feels out of reach for many tertiary students in Auckland. Students are being squeezed by the rising cost of living: higher rents, more expensive groceries, and growing tuition fees. When you add full-priced public transport on top, it becomes unsustainable. Tertiary students within Auckland receive the lowest discount out of all the groups that have discounts.  Group Current Discount Children (Aged 5–15)  | 40% off Secondary School Students  | 40% off Tertiary Students  | 20% off  Community Services Card Holders  | 50% off  Senior Citizens  | Free  Providing a 50% fare concession for tertiary students is a step toward fairness. It’s an investment in Auckland’s future, in its young people, and in educational equity. Let’s remove the barriers, not raise them.

As teachers, the wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi is always at the forefront of our minds. We want children everywhere to be able to thrive and learn, and to grow up in a safe, stable environment. Unfortunately, our NZ schools are reliant on a leasing scheme which includes a contract between the Ministry of Education and HP - a company that provides computer hardware to the genocidal regime in Israel. HP products assist Israel in maintaining the illegal occupation of Palestine [1]. The contract between HP and the NZ Government is worth millions of dollars. HP currently supplies many teachers and education staff in schools across Aotearoa New Zealand with leased HP branded laptops, tablets and Chromebooks. This means that as educators in Aotearoa, we are using technology which supports a company that contributes to the ongoing occupation and genocide in Palestine when we do our mahi. This does not align with the values of compassion, equity, and care for future generations that we hold as teachers. Background HP Inc (US) provides services to the offices of genocide leaders, Israeli PM Netanyahu and Financial Minister Smotrich [2]. HPE, which shares the same brand, provides technology for Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority, a pillar of its apartheid regime [1]. This ID system forms a core part of the Israeli apartheid regime’s tiered system of citizenship and residency that privileges Israel’s Jewish population and gives inferior status and rights to Palestinians, especially those in East Jerusalem. HP's technology is used to uphold institutional racial discrimination and segregation in relation to freedom of movement, housing, employment, marriage, healthcare, education, and policing. This discrimination is further exacerbated in the case of Palestinian “residents” in occupied East Jerusalem, whose most basic rights can and are being revoked arbitrarily. The system also holds information about Israeli citizens living in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, therefore serving Israel’s settler colonial project directly [3]. HP has also worked directly with the Israeli military, helping build its IT infrastructure [4]. This has included a program with the Israeli Navy which enforces the illegal naval blockade on Gaza [1]. Teachers for Palestine Aotearoa stands with activist groups across Aotearoa who want to see our nation live up to a long history of fighting against oppression. We demand justice for Palestine! We call on Erica Stanford and the NZ Government to have courage, listen to what New Zealanders want, and cease all procurement agreements with HP. References: [1] https://www.whoprofits.org/companies/company/3774?hewlett-packard-enterprise-hpe [2] https://bdsmovement.net/BoycottHP-GazaGenocide-Update [3] https://visualizingpalestine.org/visual/israeli-id-system-animation/  [4] https://investigate.afsc.org/company/hewlett-packard

A restored Southerner train route offers affordable transport for 750,000 SI residents, bridging gaps where air is too costly for students/low-income, coaches inaccessible for disabled/elderly, and car travel unsafe/expensive. This boosts regional economic development and tourism. Recent rail investments, like Hillside Workshops, new ferries, and Inland Ports, confirm rail's viability in the South Island. 

🕰️ In 2025, the Misuse of Drugs Act (MODA) turns 50, half a century since it was written for a very different time. It’s been amended in patches but never properly reformed, leaving us with a system that is:  ➡️ Outdated and fragmented  ➡️ Inconsistent with modern science  ➡️ Costly to enforce  ➡️ Disproportionately harming Māori, Pasifika, and young people 📚 Between 2007 and 2010, the Law Commission undertook a thorough, evidence-based review. In 2011, it recommended replacing MODA with a new, health-focused framework. That advice still hasn’t been acted on. ⚠️ Since then, everything has changed:  ➡️ Synthetic cannabinoids, vaping, and novel psychoactives have emerged  ➡️ The Psychoactive Substances Act 2013 created a parallel regime  ➡️ Drug checking was legalised in 2021  ➡️ Medicinal cannabis access has expanded  ➡️ Other countries, like Canada, Portugal, and Australia, have updated their laws based on evidence 🔎 Aotearoa has changed too, in how we understand harm reduction, public health, equity, and our responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This petition is not about legalisation or decriminalisation. It’s about bringing our drug laws into the 21st century, grounded in evidence, focused on health, and responsive to the needs of all New Zealanders. 🔍 What this petition is not about 🚫 Legalising or decriminalising any drug 🚫 Repeating the 2011 review 🚫 Proposing a specific policy outcome ✅ This is a neutral, inclusive call for an expert-led, modern, cross-party review, not ideology, but good governance. 🧠 What the review should consider ➡️ Whether current laws reduce harm and promote public safety ➡️ If the framework is clear, proportionate, and equitable ➡️ The cost and effectiveness of enforcement ➡️ Alignment with health and Te Tiriti principles ➡️ International best practices and a consistent, risk-based approach ✊ Why now? 🧓 MODA is half a century old ⚖️ Inequities and harm persist 💸 Enforcement costs are high; outcomes remain poor 🧠 The 2011 review provides a strong foundation, ready to build on 📈 Harm reduction and public health momentum is growing 🗳️ It’s time for a unified, evidence-based system that works for all New Zealanders ✅ Join the call We’re calling for a modern, fair, and expert-led review of Aotearoa’s drug laws, one that reflects our shared values, honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and responds to today’s challenges. 📢 This is your chance to support a process that is:  ✅ Neutral  ✅ Cross-party  ✅ Grounded in evidence  ✅ Respectful of Te Tiriti o Waitangi  ✅ Designed to reduce harm and promote fairness 🖊 Sign now to help modernise New Zealand’s drug laws.  📨 Share this with your whānau, community, MP, and allies. Together, we can ensure the next 50 years are smarter, fairer, and more effective.

Ngā Take 10 Hei Hainatia i Tēnei Petihana    TOP 10 REASONS TO SIGN THIS PETITION 1. Kua piki haere te haurehu a ngā rangatahi—me tū ngātahi tātou te aukati i tēnei mate urutā. Youth Vaping Epidemic - vaping is spreading fast among rangatahi (young people), and it's becoming a serious health issue. Daily vaping among New Zealand teens has nearly doubled in one year, with 25.2% of 18–24 year-olds now vaping daily. Among Māori youth, this rate is even higher at 21.7% [6].  2. He mōrearea tūturu ki te hauora. The health risks are real — vaping isn’t as safe as purported. Vaping is linked to respiratory conditions, nicotine addiction, and impaired adolescent brain development. Emerging evidence also suggests a potential connection to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular risks (New Zealand Doctor, 2005). [7] 3. Ko ngā kamupene haurehu e  pūpuri ana a tātou mokopuna i te mate. Vape advertising is targeting our kids [7] — and our kids are becoming addicted. It looks nice. It tastes nice. It's addictive. It makes you feel good.  Flavoured vapes, bright packaging, and social media marketing are deliberately designed to attract young users. Some schools in Northland have reported finding children as young as 11 using vapes [8]. 4. Ka nui te utu ka utaina ki te ohanga ā tōna wā roa.  Vaping might look cheap now, but the long-term costs to our health system and communities are massive.  Treating vaping-related health conditions will place a growing strain on our healthcare system and taxpayers. Meanwhile, profits flow largely to multinational tobacco corporations. 5. He pānga kino tō te haurehu ki te taiao. Disposable vapes are polluting our whenua, waterways, and oceans — and they’re piling up fast [9].  6. E whakakāhore ana  ētahi atu kawanatanga o te ao hei ārai ēnei taputapu haurehu,  me pēnei hoki tātou o Aotearoa . Around the world, governments are stepping up to protect young people from vaping. The Cook Islands has demonstrated bold leadership by banning the sale of vapes and raising the smoking age to 21 [10]. We can take bold measures, too. 7. Ka puta mai ngā toa hoko haurehu ki kō, ki kō, ki ngā wāhi pātata ki ngā kura, ki ngā hapori, ki ngā kainga maha. Hanga tōmuri kē ngā ture o te rohe. Vape shops are popping up everywhere — and the rules aren’t keeping up.  As of mid-2023, there were over 1,200 specialist vape retailers registered in New Zealand [11]. Many operate through loopholes such as 'stores within stores,' making regulation difficult and we are now seeing global franchises such as “Shosha” stores penetrate our community. 8. Horekau he ture ā-rohe hei mimiti i ēnei āhuatanga raru ki te hāpori, ki a tātou mokopuna me ngā paru e panaia ki a Papatuānuku. Without local rules, vape shops are popping up everywhere — and our communities, our kids and the environment are at risk : The Far North District Council is currently the only Northland council without a smokefree/vapefree policy for public spaces. This leaves places like playgrounds and beaches unprotected. 9. Ka whakapau taima ngā kaiako te aru haere i ngā take haurehu i roto i ngā kura . Kāhore e pai te haurehu ki te hauora, ki te ako hoki. Vaping in schools isn’t just a health issue — it’s a disruption to education and the school environment. Teachers report vaping as a major disruption, taking time and resources away from learning. 10. Mā te reo kotahi o te hau kainga o Kaikohe o Kaitaia e tīni i ngā āhuatanga tūkino o ngā toa haurehu. Local voices can lead to real change. Let’s make sure our community is heard and protect our rangatahi from vaping. Local voice matters. Our communities should determine the types of businesses allowed to operate here, not corporate interests profiting from addiction. Me tupu pakari a tātou tamariki. Tuhia tō ingoa ki te petihana, āwhinatia mātou ki te tū mō tō rātou anamata. Our kids deserve to grow up safe and strong. Sign the petition and help us stand up for their future. References [1] https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/smoking-and-vaping-among-14-15-year-olds-government-action-urgently-needed [2]https://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/article/undoctored/vaping-causes-incurable-lung-disease-groundbreaking-study-shows [4] https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/04/10/unacceptably-high-sales-to-underage-vape-buyers-revealed/ [5] https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/E-cigarettes_and_teens/  [6] https://www.health.govt.nz/publications/smoking-status-of-daily-vapers-new-zealand-health-survey-201718-to-202122  [7] https://nzmj.org.nz/media/pages/journal/vol-137-no-1589/exposure-to-digital-vape-marketing-among-young-people-in-aotearoa-new-zealand/dc9761c255-1706653375/6317.pdf [8] https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/vaping-in-schools-being-stubbed-out-with-homegrown-northland-lessons/GWARQTN6UFAFRMIFTCFQQZDSBU/  [9] https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/are-disposable-vapes-bad-for-the-environment/  [10] https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/517488/cook-islands-bans-vapes-smoking-age-raised-to-21-if-you-don-t-smoke-you-still-die-opposition-mp-says  [11] https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/2024-08/RIS-visibility-of-vape-products-and-proximity-of-Specialist-Vape-Retailers-Redacted.pdf  Further reading J, Erhabor., Z Yao., Erfan Tasdighi, Emelia J Benjamin, Aruni Bhatnagar, Michael J Blaha. 2005. E-cigarette Use and Incident Cardiometabolic Conditions in the All of Us Research Program, Nicotine & Tobacco Research, https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaf067 

Aotearoa should be a place where people who are in need can access hospitals and get timely treatment, where staff are supported and properly resourced to give quality care. We have the opportunity to ensure that the most medically vulnerable people in our communities are properly supported through their journeys to improved health and wellbeing. New Zealand is facing a health crisis. People are suffering, and some are dying, because they can't access the treatment they need. Our hospitals need to be rebuilt, better resourced and better staffed. New Zealanders deserve a healthcare system that doesn't leave them waiting for months or years just to get the treatment they need; and medical professionals deserve to work in an environment that enables them to deliver the care their patients need and deserve. “We have over a thousand patients that are waiting for either a first specialist appointment or a follow-up appointment. I've never seen that number of patients waiting to be seen." — Dr. Claudia Hays, head of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department at Nelson Marlborough Health [1] “Certainly I have seen patients that I believe their disease has gone from curable to incurable during that waiting time." — Dr Suzanne Beuker, senior doctor and consultant for the Urology Department at Nelson Marlborough Health [1] “Someone put my life at risk by changing my diagnosis. This could’ve damn near killed me.” — Daniel Walker, Nelson patient whose nine-week wait likely increased the spread of his testicular cancer [2] The Government needs to build facilities that are fit for purpose for our aging and growing population. Despite the growing crisis, there is a lack of action. We need a bipartisan approach to healthcare that resolves these issues once and for all. The public needs transparency, information and engagement regarding investigations and reports on these issues; and in particular the independent investigation at Nelson Hospital. Sign this petition and together we can hold the government to account and make sure our hospitals are resourced enough to help our family and friends in need.