We seek that both councils align their procurement policy with UN Resolution 2334, and the obligations placed on member states by that resolution. There is no question that Israel is currently in breach of many international laws. As a starting place, Israel is illegally occupying Palestinian territory. UN resolution 2334 refers to the territory held by Palestine in 1967 and the illegal occupation of that territory by Israel. As an occupier state, Israel has legal obligations to protect Palestinians who live in their territory. Israel in is breach of these obligations by directly targeting and knowingly harming Palestinian civilians. Israel does not have the right to attack citizens whom they have a duty to protect. International agreements are not directly enforceable on crown agencies where their provisions have not been incorporated in domestic legislation. However, international agreements are significant even when they are not incorporated into domestic legislation as there is considerable political and moral force on governments to act in accordance with their international obligations. UN Resolution 2334 In resolution 2334, Israel was requested to cease all settlement activities in the occupied territory. In support of this, Clause 5 of the resolution calls upon all states to distinguish between the territory of the state of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967 in all dealings with the region. The Resolution was supported by the New Zealand government. Subsequently, in February 2020 the United Nations published a database of over 100 companies it considered were doing business in the Israeli settlements. On 1 July 2023, the United Nations reviewed the list and removed 15 companies from the list due to them having halted activity in the Israeli settlements. United Nations Resolution 2334 declared that all member states should not deal with organisations doing business in the illegally occupied Palestinian Territories, this includes Aotearoa/New Zealand. We call on our local government to align its procurement policy with UN resolution 2334.

The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) was established in 1974 with the noble intention of providing comprehensive, no-fault personal injury coverage for all New Zealand residents. However, over time there has been a growing number of complaints about its lack of transparency, unfair practices, and denial of rightful claims. My father battled with ACC for 40 years. Like him, many others are forced to fight to be heard, for their injuries to be recognised and receive the support and funding they are legally entitled to. This is not an isolated incident but a systemic issue affecting countless New Zealanders who have been injured or disabled due to accidents. The current system is failing those it was designed to protect, leaving them in financial hardship and emotional distress. A Royal Commission of Inquiry into ACC would provide an independent review of the system's operations and policies. It would shed light on any malpractices or systemic issues within the organization that are causing unnecessary suffering for claimants. We call upon our government representatives - those who have the power to initiate this inquiry - to act now. Let's ensure that our fellow citizens receive fair treatment from ACC and that their struggles are not ignored any longer. Please sign this petition today; let us stand together for justice and fairness in our accident compensation system.

Teachers, parents, whānau and communities fought for two decades to win respect, recognition and pay parity for teachers in early childhood education. After finally achieving progress with pay parity, the National, ACT and NZ First coalition Government are initiating radical changes in early childhood education. They have signalled funding changes that threaten the pay of tens of thousands of teachers and risk children’s wellbeing by rolling back safety regulations.   Removing protections to teacher pay and safety regulations are not new ideas. They are failed ideas that enable unscrupulous employers to cut corners. Ultimately, it is tamariki and staff who suffer when providers have a license to put profit before providing great care and education. We know that for tamariki to have the best start in life they need great foundations and the best possible beginning to their lifelong journey.  Every child, no matter where they live or how much their parents earn, should have access to quality early childhood education, Māori medium, and Pacific language services that suit their needs and community, which place culture and identity at the heart.  Kōhanga Reo, Puna Reo and early childhood teachers are trained and qualified to make sure our youngest children get the best teaching and learning – just like teachers in kindergartens and schools. Regardless of where our kaiako work, if they work to grow our tamariki and mokopuna they should have their mahi valued equally.    Respect our youngest mokopuna in education, their kaiako, and their whānau. Don’t let Minister Seymour attack teacher conditions – the learning conditions for our mokopuna.   Take us forwards, not backwards!

Our vision for a thriving food industry is one where there is an abundance of small, locally owned and operated food producers and mobile food/drink businesses offering a diverse range of choices at reasonable prices. This would support regular markets and community events that transform our public spaces into community spaces of music and cultural vibrancy; play, laughter, connection, and warm full bellies. One of the greatest barriers to running such businesses is the resourcing (cost, time and energy) required to comply with food safety regulations. Currently, the logistical, administrative and financial burden of registration and certification is the same for all domestic food businesses, regardless of size. A small coffee cart that only operates at a few summer events each year pays $500 - $1,000 annually in compliance costs, depending on region. While a large restaurant - such as a fast food outlet - pays the same amount even though it has exponentially higher revenue from being open all day on most (if not all) days every week and so can easily absorb these costs. High regulatory costs for small food businesses to operate impede their economic viability and their ability to remain competitive. Furthermore, due to loss and lack of government funding, MPI recently released a proposal to charge all domestic food businesses a new annual levy of $132 plus an $11 collection fee for expanding five of its existing services (including rules setting; oversight; and education) and adding three entirely new services (nationwide interventions to raise performance; national monitoring programmes; and systems auditing). Because the fee is charged on a “per site” basis, mobile food businesses that prepare food in a kitchen and sell food from a vehicle (e.g. food truck or cart) would end up paying double the levy while a fixed premise, like a large restaurant, would only pay the base fee. The new levy would be the third annual fee food businesses have to pay to retain their registration to legally trade in food and would also be “growing annually in line with inflation assumptions”. . As with the existing regulatory fees structure, charging the same levy for all businesses - regardless of size or revenue - means a mobile food vendor that only operates one morning a week will have to pay the same fee as a McDonald's restaurant that is open all day, every day of the year. For small food businesses, such as mobile food vendors and coffee carts, the current regulations are already too cumbersome and costs beyond sustainable. They will never benefit anywhere close to enough to justify these additional costs, let alone the current costs and requirements of compliance. The full, 52-page proposal is available here: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/60877-Proposal-to-maintain-and-expand-New-Zealand-Food-Safetys-regulatory-services-under-the-Food-Act-2014-Food-Act) Based on past experience, we also believe Food Safety NZ has been excessive and inefficient with its spending of funding for services and are concerned that increasing funding will lead to greater inefficiency of spending with no benefit to small food businesses. Small food businesses have many unique benefits including: supporting local economy; supplying a more diverse and unique range of food that is made locally from ingredients that are local, fresh, and wholesome; allowing innovation; creating competition (which encourages lower food prices); supporting community and fundraising events (such as school fairs); adaptability and flexibility. The Covid pandemic specifically highlighted the value of food markets and mobile food vendors, where the ability to shop outside was an important option to avoid spreading disease. The current food safety system favours large businesses and promotes an industry where small, unique and community-oriented businesses struggle to survive and will gradually disappear resulting in a monopoly of large, homogenous food businesses. The change will not be immediate and obvious, but it will be very significant and detrimental to our well-being and quality of life. We already have plenty of examples where large, multinational businesses have dominated over and replaced small, local businesses. Whilst food safety is important, it is also vital that regulations and fees are not so burdensome that the viability of small food businesses is undermined. Especially as inflation and high costs are already making it challenging for these businesses to stay afloat. The costs and requirements to comply with food safety regulations for small food businesses need to decrease significantly and more accurately reflect their level of risk and the revenue they are able to generate so they can continue to support vibrant, connected and sustainable communities.

Schools are a place where kids go to learn, connect, and grow. But they can’t do this if they are hungry. In Aotearoa, one in five children live with food poverty. And poor nutrition is not limited to kids in food poverty, with only 5 per cent of children aged 0-14 years getting the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables per day. Nutritious food is essential for learning but many kids are missing out on this. This is why Ka Ora, Ka Ako - the school lunch programme was created. It currently offers 230,000 students in about 1,000 of the least advantaged schools lunches, and is a major safety net against food poverty and poor nutrition. If the Government chooses to remove the programme from schools it would rob students of their potential and then we all lose from the missed contribution they can make to our communities. Research from the PISA (Program for International Student Achievement) shows that students who miss meals due to lack of money are two to four years behind their peers who never miss meals in educational achievement(1). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has said his Government is focused on enhancing school achievement. Cutting school lunches goes against this - and will instead reduce school achievement. Parents of children at schools with free lunches told researchers the lunches helped reduce their grocery bill, increased financial security and helped change their child’s food choices - towards healthier options(2). Principals at schools receiving Ka Ora, Ka Ako say the programme has made a huge and lasting impact on students and losing it would be a tragedy. Principal of Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae in Māngere East Arihia Stirling said on TVNZ’s Breakfast programme, children are more focused and the number of students having to work to help pay for family basics has fallen as a result of the free lunch programme(3). “What I say to the Associate Minister of Education is do not take the food out of our children’s mouths…this is so needed in the communities we serve.” Seletute “Tute” Mila, principal of Arakura School in Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt, told The Press, Ka Ora, Ka Ako was a “critical programme” which her students loved(4). The same story reported comments by Chisnallwood Intermediate year 8 student Ryder who said the lunches should stay “... mainly because that is a lot of students’ meal for the entirety of the day ... most people don’t have food at home.” Before the lunches were introduced in 2022, Ryder said he struggled to learn “because my brain just got like, ‘oh, I’m so hungry’.“After I ate the lunches I’d always have energy to do stuff.” All students at these schools receive a free healthy lunch which they share together. The provision of tasty, healthy lunches to all the students encourages them to eat nutritious food that will fuel their bodies and minds, and promotes social bonding through sharing a meal together. Students all over New Zealand should have healthy and free school lunches - which are essential to address food poverty and poor nutrition. This is why we are asking the government to keep the free school lunch program, if you agree please sign and share this petition. References (1) https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/food-poverty-nz-teens-creating-achievement-lag-four-years (2) https://academic.oup.com/heapro/article/38/4/daad093/7243592?login=false (3) https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/03/05/no-doubt-free-lunches-programme-has-helped-results-principal/ (4) https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/350201994/most-people-dont-have-food-home-students-and-staff-fear-impact-lunch-cuts

The decision to delay modern slavery legislation affects everyone, from the beginning of the supply chain to the end consumer. Urgent action is needed. In July 2023, the Labour government announced its plan to draft a modern slavery disclosure law, requiring companies earning more than $20 million a year in revenue to publicly disclose and address the risks of modern slavery within their supply chains. Detailed advice, including advocating for due diligence, was received from advocacy groups and experts in modern slavery legislation. Significant progress was made on drafting legislation, covering both business and public sector supply chains. But, despite repeated urging from the public, it was not introduced into Parliament before the last election. Now it is your turn. We are depending on your government to do the right thing, to introduce this legislation into Parliament and make it law. But we have since been told that your government has “yet to make a decision” on this proposal (3). Not only does this lag put New Zealand behind other OECD countries, but it affects businesses that are trying to do the right thing as they continue operating in a market where unfair competition can thrive due to unethical labour practices. New Zealanders want legislative action on modern slavery. An open letter from the business community was written in 2021 along with a 37,000-strong public petition. In 2023, more than 6,000 people demanded that the then government stop delaying progress. In February this year, ethical investors urged you to act. There is no need for any more hold-ups. We ask once again that your National-led coalition government make urgent progress on this issue. We pride ourselves on being a country that cares, a place where everyone gets a fair go. By stalling work on a modern slavery law, aren't we falling short of that ideal? Prime Minister Luxon, in 2022 you said, “Something I feel very passionate about is modern slavery… I’ve been really passionate about [it] for a long time. That’s something I think we could do a better job of and have modern slavery legislation, and make sure that we’re holding ourselves up to a standard.” (4). We are holding you to your own standards. Please Introduce a Modern Slavery Act into New Zealand Law Now! Yours sincerely, Fair&Good Ethical Directory With the support of: Hagar NZ, Tearfund, World Vision, Trade Aid, Fairtrade, Sustainable Business Network, Ethically Kate, Mindful Money, Walk Free, The Wilberforce Foundation, Mindful Fashion, Kowtow, 27 Seconds, All Good, AS Colour, Addington Café, Aho Creative, Bennetto, Borneo Bags, Burrow&Be, Caritas, The Centre for Research on Modern Slavery (UoA), Collective Canvas, Common Good Coffee, Common Sense Organics, Conscious Copy, Crave Café, Direct Impact Group, NZ Ethical Employers, Ethos&Co, Fairfield Trust, Fairplay, Fashion Revolution, Grow Good, Good Gold, Hamodava Coffee, HEED Consulting, Holi Boli, House of March, The Human Trafficking Research Coalition, IncaFe Organic Coffee, Joyya, Just Kai, Karma Drinks, Kind Café, Krama&Co, The Lucy Foundation, Made Good, The Modern Day Slavery and Labour Exploitation Advocacy Group, Morning Cider, Pickers Pocket, Phat Philly, Reca, Recreate Clothing, Regina Scheyvens, Professor of International Development, ReMade Agency, Sawubona, Seeds, Side Hustle, The Salvation Army, UnionAID, Yeastie Boys, Ziwi Baby References: (1) Walk Free Global Slavery Index 2023 https://www.walkfree.org/global-slavery-index/ (2) World Vision Risky Goods Supply Chain Risk Report 2023 https://wvnzintegrationprod.blob.core.windows.net/pdf/WVNZ%20Risky%20Goods%202023%20Report-Final.pdf (3) Newsroom 18/1/2024 https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/01/18/modern-slavery-law-plans-up-in-air/ (4) Video Interview with Guyon Espiner, 7 June 2022 https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/468615/how-christopher-luxon-is-rebranding-the-national-party

Our health system has failed Māori for far too long. Report after report has demonstrated institutional racism and exclusion of Māori leadership that has led to devastating outcomes and inequity. For all those years, hapū, iwi, health workers, lawyers, health researchers, and many more have fought for better, and called for practical solutions they knew would work. Te Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority) is the result of their vision for a health system that better honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and better cares for whānau. A truly Māori-led agency that has the power to resource and lift up kaupapa Māori, and iwi and hapū health services, can improve health for Māori, and all communities in Aotearoa. Without a clear plan to improve hauora Māori, the National, ACT, and NZ First parties have vowed to disestablish Te Aka Whai Ora. The coalition Government plan to introduce the disestablishment legislation just days before the hearing of the Urgent Waitangi Tribunal claim is set to begin. This bad-faith move restricts the jurisdiction of the Tribunal to fully consider this breach of Te Tiriti, and the impact on Māori. It is unacceptable for the Crown to unilaterally move ahead and block tangata whenua from being heard. We demand a health system that treats everyone fairly, in ways that uplift them and their whānau, and honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We stand with people on the frontline of the health system: allied, public, and mental health practitioners, nurses, doctors, and many more health professionals, who know Te Aka Whai Ora is important and necessary to deliver healthcare well. Disestablishment is a major threat to Māori health. That’s why we’re calling for the Government to change course now and protect Te Aka Whai Ora. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUTDpxDh90E

We are short 700 social workers, 940 psychologists, 1000 teachers, 1,050 midwives, 1,700 doctors, & 4,800 nurses to name a few. Our hospitals, GP practices, schools, mental health & social services are more stretched than ever. Dangerously low staffing levels & overworked professionals make for burnt-out workforces & inaccessible services. This means long waitlists for surgeries or specialist appointments & long wait times in ED. Delayed access to mental health assessments, treatment, crisis support, & suicide prevention. Family harm & child protection services stretched beyond capacity. Large class sizes in schools mean reduced capacity for individual learning needs to be met & homeschooling for parents when teachers are off sick. The ripple effect of workforce shortages is massive. More staff are needed but it’s nearly impossible to complete course requirements with the current cost of living. Students are burning out & dropping out of study at rates of up to 45%. They can’t afford to work for free when rent, food, & power still cost money. - Students training in professions with placement requirements complete between 500 & 2400 hours of unpaid training depending on registration requirements. Medical students complete 20-42 weeks of unpaid placements for 3 years (after a 3yr BSc Health Science). - Students are often required to live or work away from home to complete placements. The cost of double rent & the impact on part-time work opportunities are significant. For students with on-call requirements, maintaining paid work is almost impossible. - Students must cover course related costs such as textbooks, uniforms, immunisations, equipment, travel, parking, supervision, & childcare arrangements. $1000 course costs loans are insufficient to cover these expenses. - Students participate in paid work to pay their bills on top of unpaid placements, often working up to 80 hours a week to make ends meet. Students from backgrounds of hardship or those caring for tamariki/whānau get excluded from these professions as they have limited financial flexibility or capacity to take on high student loans, unpaid labour & course related costs. - Student hardship disproportionately affects Māori & Pasifika because of existing inequities in Aotearoa New Zealand. We need greater diversity & experience to better serve the needs of our communities but without financial support to study our professions are at risk of becoming more short-staffed & less diverse. Post-graduate students Support must also be available for post-graduate students undertaking placements as part of their registration requirements. Currently, postgraduate students are ineligible for student allowance. - Many degrees are completed at a post-graduate level via an applied/professional masters. - Registered psychology professions & psychotherapy are only available at postgraduate level. - Lifetime student allowance limits are significantly lower for those over 40 years of age. - Mature students’ only option is to take on huge student loans & living costs. Working for free while collecting debt is especially prohibitive for students with additional domestic, family, and financial responsibilities. We must incentivise New Zealanders to gain qualifications in registered professions. Tradies receive support through packages like the Apprenticeship Boost and Police are paid to train while provided bed and board. Paid training for our health, education, and social work professionals must become the norm too. The solution! Provide students with a universal, non-repayable, annually increasing stipend. We are calling on the government to pay students a universal stipend while they train in registered professions with compulsory placement requirements. This is non-repayable & should increase annually to reflect the year-on-year increase in placement hours, skill development, & responsibilities. First year undergraduate programs with placement requirements must start on at least equivalent to the training wage for Aotearoa New Zealand. Postgraduate students should start on at least equivalent to the living wage to reflect their existing qualifications & professional experience. What is a stipend? A stipend is not a wage. It is a tax-free fund to support students to cover living costs, enabling them to fully engage with their studies & placement requirements. A stipend does not make students employees. It will not affect training, practice, or supervision requirements. Year 1: Training wage (tax-free stipend) $32,084.64* Year 2: Minimum wage (tax-free stipend) $39,312.72* Year 3+: Living wage (tax-free stipend) $44,008.58* *Take home amount students would receive at the current rates. These should be reviewed & adjusted annually in line with equivalent wage rates. Additional allowances should be available for on-call requirements, mandatory therapy, & supervision costs. Please sign & share this petition for paid training in healthcare, education, & social work. Funded workforce development will improve accessibility to training, increase the diversity of staff, & enable better access to quality services for whānau & community. Follow Paid Placements Aotearoa’s advocacy on: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PaidPlacementsAotearoa Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paid.placements.aotearoa/ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/authwall?trk=bf&trkInfo=AQGfBgJOR0gsnwAAAY0K0NJQ4VSzObpB_5YpuuKfAs4gSu9gxg1BfhglPpZqhKz9ODj2xKAUWfio4DrWWjGr5yXqlQNvywhjI4U3p6L5VKxhaSXw35UEoahOPDPewg04X9Xqqrw=&original_referer=&sessionRedirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fpaid-placements-aotearoa-nz-236384272%2F

Bringing people living with dementia together to work, share food, use their long learned skills and remind them that they are valued members of our society, helps keep people well for longer. It improves their quality of life and enriches our communities. But currently, the Ministry of Health only provides the financial support needed to attend daycare services to the full time carer of someone who is terminally ill, someone who has ongoing health or mental conditions or someone who has an age related disability. The carers needs are assessed based on their situation and the disability/illness of those they are caring for. They are then allocated a number of days per year to allow them respite from those they are caring for, or they can get financial support to bring the person who is ill to a daycare facility. People who live on their own or their carers are still in employment do not qualify for this support. Often resulting in people being unable to afford daycare programs that would greatly benefit their quality of life. Ensuring funding for people living with dementia, regardless of whether they have a carer or not, means enabling people to attend services where they can be part of a community while in a safe environment. Dementia can hit everyone, is not picky about age, or intelligence. When it hits a person who is young and therefore still working, it can take a while before it is recognised/diagnosed. Because of this, often people are lonely, having lost their job, their income and their working community. More and more people are living alone because of the loss of partners, and have no carers around. All people living with dementia deserve to be cared for and given opportunities to be part of a community.

Aotearoa New Zealand should be a place where everyone can afford public transport to stay connected, enjoy our regions, and travel in a way that’s kind to the environment. Everyone deserves to have access to their places of work, study, and community, and this is especially important for young people and for our most vulnerable communities. The public transport discounts introduced in 2023 are a crucial step towards enabling this access, whilst also reducing transport emissions in support of our climate targets. However, during their election campaign, the National Party proposed cancelling the public transport discounts introduced this year. If they go ahead with this, public transport fares will effectively double for some. Families are already struggling with the cost of living, and the increase in cost of public transport will push many back to cars. For people who don’t have the option of driving for reasons such as disability, age, or income level, the financial inaccessibility of public transport worsens social isolation and restricts opportunities for New Zealanders to work towards their dreams. Keeping public transport fares low helps us meet our climate commitments. Strong evidence from Aotearoa and overseas shows us that reducing public transport fares increases mode shift from private to public transport, reducing our transport emissions. We know that hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders left their cars behind to take public transport due to the temporary half-price fares for everyone in 2022 and 2023. The shift from private to public transport not only reduces our impact on the climate: it also reduces traffic congestion, which brings economic benefits and allows everyone to travel more efficiently. Furthermore, significant public health benefits result from the reduction in air pollution and road accidents. Public transport affordability is crucial to supporting New Zealanders in the cost of living crisis and mitigate transport poverty. Affordable public transport gives people access to school, work, family, public services, and enables people to contribute to their community. This access is especially important for the groups who are targeted by the current discounts: young people and tamariki, low-income earners, and disabled people. We also reiterate the need for all tertiary students to be included in these discounts. Finally, we know that most New Zealanders support keeping public transport fares low. A new poll has found that 71% of New Zealanders want to keep the current public transport discounts, with 50% strongly agreeing they should be kept. There is support across the political spectrum, with only 21% of National voters supporting the removal of the discounts. We call for the incoming Minister of Transport to listen to what the people of Aotearoa are calling for. Let’s hold onto the wins of the public transport discounts introduced this year, and work towards Free Fares for all students, under-25s, Community Services Card holders, and Total Mobility Card holders and their support people. It’s a no brainer: this is an easy action the Government can take for climate and community in the midst of the challenges we are currently facing. Sources: Please see the https://freefares.nz/frequently-asked-questions/ for our evidence.

We all want tamariki to grow up surrounded by loving, thriving whānau within supportive communities where there are resources, opportunities and systems to enable them to flourish free of poverty. Prime Minister-elect Luxon has committed to keeping the Child Poverty Reduction Act (2018) and halving child poverty by 2028. This will take a concerted effort in several areas. Poverty is notoriously difficult to measure but here are some statistics PM-elect Luxon needs to know right now. • A record almost half a million Kiwis each month rely on food handouts from charity. This will increase at Christmas. Food parcels are not the answer. Our whole food system is broken, and kids are suffering. • Te Whatu Ora statistics this month show hospital admissions for babies and preschoolers for preventable illnesses are up more than 30 percent since June 2022 The situation is urgent. We want to show our new leaders the evidence-based policies that will help them fulfil their election promise to halve child poverty. Speaking on behalf of children in poverty; Child Poverty Action Group, Methodist Alliance, Presbyterian Support New Zealand, Methodist Mission Northern, NZ Council of Christian Services and the Paediatric Society of New Zealand. Please sign the petition to show how much people across Aotearoa care about child poverty, and help put pressure on the next government to meet with us ASAP.

16 and 17 year olds are just as impacted by local political decisions as those over 18 and we will inherit the future kawekawe of those decisions. Public transport, infrastructure, community development, and a vast list of other local government issues will continue to affect us and future generations of young people. Despite the effects politics has, and will have, on us, we have no democratic say in their solutions. We are on the brink of making history, but we need your help! Every signature is a step towards a more inclusive democracy. Rangatahi are ready, willing, and capable to vote. We demonstrate this time and time again. It is time for our voices to be heard at local government elections. Sign our petition to bring the Bill to second reading and urge the incoming government to vote for rangatahi human rights. Don’t kill the Bill.