It has come to our attention that Massey University is complicit in genocide. The Massey University Foundation has $64 million invested in managed funds, of which a spokesperson has confirmed $7,105 has been invested in Israeli Government Bonds over the last three months. Within those three months, the Israeli government has bombed schools, attacked health infrastructure, fired missiles into refugee camps, and prevented aid from reaching Gaza, weaponising famine and disease against the people of Palestine.  Even prior to your investment, Israel was already engaged in a programme of genocide. As of 6 June 2024, the World Health Organisation reported over 36,000 Palestinians killed— including more than 13,000 children—with more than 10,000 reported missing under rubble and 83,000 injured. Mass graves have been found outside Palestinian hospitals. Even these statistics are being reported as incomplete. These atrocities follow years of dispossession and systematic apartheid inflicted on the Palestinian people by the state of Israel. As of 2022, the people of Gaza already faced “inadequate access to clean water, sporadic electricity provision and [were] without a proper sewage system. Two thirds of the population lived in poverty.” This level of economic and infrastructural destruction at the hands of Israel meant 80% of the population were forced to depend on international aid to survive. Despite UN Resolution 194’s affirmation of Palestinian refugees’ right to return to their homeland, more than 6 million Palestinians live today in the diaspora, barred from their ancestral home. This Nakba (Catastrophe) has been ongoing for more than 76 years. Palestinians have been systematically slaughtered and expelled from their lands to make room for the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, resulting in a settler-colonial system of oppression “maintained by Israel with the support of the international community.” This is what your investment condones and supports. Massey University, you are complicit in crimes against Gazans, against Palestinians, and against humanity. We, your students, including Palestinian students, pay you to receive an education we wish to be proud of, and you have used that money to help pay for genocide. As academics and university administrators from Gaza have reported after 8 months of incessant bombing, Palestinian civic infrastructure, schools, hospitals, libraries, museums and cultural centres - built by generations of Palestinians - currently lie in ruins. More than 5,479 students, 261 teachers, and 96 university professors have been killed alongside the destruction of all 12 universities in Gaza. Just as you have been cutting courses and jobs across your three campuses for ‘lack of funds,’ you have also been guilty of funding scholasticide in Gaza.   Neither outrage, nor disgust are able to convey the full extent of how we feel.  We make our demands on the back of a string of student activism across Aotearoa. On the 23rd of May, students from all three campuses joined university students across the country in the National Students Rally for Palestine. On the 14th of June, Massey University students at the Pukeahu campus painted over the walls of the Fine Arts block in protest of Massey University’s lack of stance against the prevailing genocide, leaving the following words addressed to staff: “The students have been asking. Disclose. Divest. Declare. Massey has refused to take a stance. And the staff have remained silent. Massey has defined their response as ‘appropriate’. There is nothing appropriate about ignoring the incomprehensible suffering of Palestinians.” We note the hypocrisy of your investment in Israeli Government Bonds as a signatory of both the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which commits to “Zero Hunger” and “Peace, Justice and Strong institutions,” and the UN Principles for Responsible Investment, which commits to better aligning investment activities with society’s environmental, social, and corporate governance interests. You have clearly failed to uphold a multitude of obligations: to your students, staff, and alumni, to Gazans and all Palestinians at large, and to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.  Are you truly acting as a Te Tiriti-led university as you claim? Aotearoa New Zealand, including its universities, including our university, has a responsibility to protect Indigenous people’s rights to sovereignty and self-determination around the world, under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.This means advocating for Tino Rangatiratanga ki te ao - sovereignty for everybody. Both Palestine and Aotearoa have a shared history of injustice under settler colonialism. You have claimed you uphold Te Tiriti to a “new standard of excellence” in “analysis, practice and implementation initiatives across all areas of the university.” Already, at the national level, via Te Mana Akonga, Māori students across Aotearoa have expressed their complete opposition to the colonial state of Israel’s acts of genocide against tangata taketake in Palestine, unapologetically supporting a vocalised statement from tertiary institutions demanding an immediate and lasting ceasefire. A truly Te Tiriti-led university would join Māori students in recognising that there can be no true justice in Aotearoa without justice for Palestine.  Universities hold a significant platform and a large amount of power in our country. When you have such a platform with which to be heard, what you don’t say matters just as much as what you do. As such, rather than having a “right to remain silent,” we believe an institution responsible for teaching, producing, and sharing knowledge actually has a responsibility to speak up. It is, after all, enshrined in the Education Act 1989 that you be “the critic and conscience of society.” It is past time that institutions like Massey University use their privilege, their platform, and voice to help FREE PALESTINE.

Menstrual products in NZ are classified as luxury items so they are subject to Goods and Services Tax (GST). However, these products are not luxuries, to half the population (women), these are necessities. GST on menstrual products adds unnecessary financial strain to those who need them, particularly those from lower income households. According to ActionAid, 1 in 3 women and girls in New Zealand between the ages of 15 and 65 have difficulty accessing menstrual products due to their high cost (ActionAid, 2020). By removing the GST on menstrual products, we can help to alleviate period poverty and increase accessibility to these necessary items. Let's make period products more accessible to everyone in New Zealand by urging our government to lift the GST on these crucial products. Please sign this petition to show your support for this cause.

Well-funded public transport systems create healthy, connected cities which are better for the public and for the climate. Improving the frequency, reach and quality of public transport services in Greater Christchurch will ultimately benefit the whole community.  Greater Christchurch is growing rapidly - a 10% population growth from 2018 to 2023, far higher than the national average of 6%, and much of that growth located in the Selwyn (29% increase) and Waimakariri (11% increase) regions [2]. More planning is required to ensure that Greater Christchurch remains a liveable, accessible city. A city of Christchurch’s size requires a good public transport system, one that gives residents an alternative to car dependency. Car usage is becoming increasingly expensive, especially as Greater Christchurch continues to sprawl, locking in longer journeys. Public transport usage in Christchurch is increasing, with almost one-third of Christchurch residents having used it at least once in 2023, and 14.3 million trips a year [3], but requires investment to become accessible for all residents. Christchurch residents have made this clear in their submissions on ECan’s Long-Term Plan - 64% of submitters want improved public transport.  We envision a city where residents can access safe and sheltered bus stops close to their homes, and be able to get where they want to go with convenience. A city where our streets and roads are not congested with traffic, and safe and enjoyable places to get around, whether on foot, cycling, in a car, or by bus. As transport makes up over 50% of Christchurch’s greenhouse gas emissions [4], and contributes to our air pollution problem, which kills 800 people a year in Christchurch alone [5], moving more people onto public and active transport is good for our health and good for the planet. As outlined above, there is a plan, which has already been agreed to by the various councils and NZTA - the PT Futures plan.  However, to implement the plan, Central Government funding is required [6]. The Government have pulled back on an earlier commitment of 78 million in funding towards the project. Despite $2.7 billion in funding for transport announced in the budget in May, there were no funds earmarked for public transport in Christchurch [7]. Given the importance of investment in public transport in Greater Christchurch, there is still time for additional funds to be found. Unlike the proposed rural highway projects, funding public transport will dramatically speed up getting to places within the city. Public transport in Christchurch has long been neglected. Oliver Lewis of BusinessDesk wrote a great article titled “Christchurch misses out in transport funding lottery” [8], which highlights the disparity of funding for transport that Christchurch receives compared to Auckland and Wellington, and is worthwhile reading. We ask Simeon Brown to invest in Greater Christchurch and support the PT Futures plan, which will turbo-charge public transport in Ōtautahi. References:  [1] https://www.ecan.govt.nz/your-region/living-here/transport/public-transport-services/transforming-public-transport [2] https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/350294139/christchurch-getting-older-more-diverse-and-much-much-bigger [3] https://ccc.govt.nz/the-council/how-the-council-works/reporting-and-monitoring/life-in-christchurch/transport [4] https://newsline.ccc.govt.nz/news/story/latest-greenhouse-gas-emissions-report-released-for-christchurch [5] https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/470488/air-pollution-invercargill-revealed-as-deadliest-centre-study [6] https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/infrastructure/short-sighted-christchurch-bus-funding-doesnt-exist-council-says [7] https://budget.govt.nz/budget/pdfs/releases/l12a-factsheet-transport.pdf [8] https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/transport/christchurch-misses-out-in-transport-funding-lottery

Thousands of job losses. Rolling attacks on Te Tiriti o Waitangi. No-cause evictions and selling off public housing. Cuts to our public transport, health and education. It is clear - this government has waged economic war on everyday people in Aotearoa. Their approach isn’t new. Taking from our collective pool to line the pockets of private interests is a tried and true method of moving resources away from our communities and forcing more and more of the basics of life into businesses to be profited from. It puts profits over people, and our living world. For what?  We can shift the dial. Through a vision for an Aotearoa that is fair and flourishing, where Te Tiriti o Waitangi is honoured properly, and for an economic system therefore that puts the wellbeing of people and our planet above corporate profit- we can unify, act, and build toward real change. Now is the time to act together. Sign up to the campaign now to find out how to get involved. Mauri ora!

Ōwhiro Bay is a growing suburb. Situated in the south of Wellington, it hosts a vibrant local community of 2,000 residents. However, Ōwhiro Bay receives the worst bus services in the entirety of Wellington City. Having once had a decent network, it has since spent the last 6 years deteriorating into a state where at the best of times, you’d struggle to have a wait time of less than an hour for a bus during the evening rush hour. We want to see bus services return to the suburb, to a level where anyone can take a bus from our great suburb. As Wellington moves away from car-based transport, Ōwhiro Bay is being left behind.  Metlink however, feels that everything is fine. Their metrics only account for demand but don’t take into account the impacts of cancellations, reduced services, or community opinion. Because Ōwhiro Bay receives, by their incorrect metrics, the bare minimum of service levels, they do not believe there is an issue. However, the numbers show otherwise. Ōwhiro Bay receives the worst level of bus services, relative to its population, in the entirety of Wellington City. We believe, through the implementation of our eight recommendations, that the bus services in Ōwhiro Bay can improve considerably and return to levels that a suburb our size deserves.  We want to see a good bus service in the entirety of Wellington, and it starts with getting better bus services for Ōwhiro Bay.

During covid lockdowns Auckland Transport turned off the WIFI service which was available at all train stations in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, and have not yet resumed this essential service.  Public transport passengers are constantly referred to the Auckland Transport website to check the schedule changes or plan our journeys, but many of us cannot afford internet data to check the website.  As Auckland Transport relies almost solely on their website to inform journey planning, it only makes sense to give the public access to this website by providing WIFI at the train stations.  WIFI is an essential service to transfer money so we can pay to top-up our Hop cards, and for passengers' personal safety. It is a service which would make Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland a livable city for public transport users. We know Auckland Transport can provide public and free WIFI, it's only right that they do!

We all want the laws and practices guiding how we as a country look after children in care to have their best interests at heart. We know feeling connected to their culture and history is essential to children's wellbeing. Section 7AA is the only section of the Oranga Tamariki Act that ensures our tamariki Māori have their best interests protected through state care processes. It allows an ongoing partnership between the Crown and Māori to remedy shortfalls experienced by tamariki and their familial ties through state care processes. The repeal of this section will impact the way Oranga Tamariki interact with our children, straining their whakapapa ties with little to no regard as to the implications. Minister for Children Karen Chhour plans to introduce a bill to take 7AA out of the Oranga Tamariki Act to Parliament in mid-May.[1] Section 7AA is the primary legal mechanism for recognising the Crown's Te Tiriti o Waitangi duties in our child protection system, ensuring: 1) The policies and practices of Oranga Tamariki have the objective of reducing socio-economic and historic disparities by setting measurable standards and outcomes for Māori 2) That the polices, practices and services of Oranga Tamariki have regard to mana Tamati, whakapapa and whanaungatanga 3) Partnerships with hapu, iwi and Māori-led organisations are ongoing and strong to protect our Tamariki 4) Accountability is practised by reporting publicly and annually what the Ministry has done, and the impact of those actions with clear next steps. The recent report from the Waitangi Tribunal sheds light on the deeper implications of such a repeal, emphasising the profound impact it would have on the lives of our tamariki and their whānau.[2] Now is the time for action, for us to come together and defend the rights of our children. Indigenous voices and perspectives must be central to any changes made to legislation affecting their well-being. The absence of meaningful consultation with Māori about the repealing of these sections is deeply concerning and represents a failure to uphold the principles of partnership and participation enshrined in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.[3] Without adequate safeguards and holistic considerations, changes to the Oranga Tamariki Act could inadvertently harm vulnerable children and families, particularly those already disproportionately affected by systemic inequities and socio-economic challenges. By signing this petition, you are standing up for the rights of our tamariki and sending a clear message that their well-being and cultural identity must be protected at all costs. Together, let's ensure that Section 7AA remains intact. 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 our children. References [1] https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansDeb_20230726_20230726_44 [2] https://www.waitangitribunal.govt.nz/news/tribunal-releases-report-on-oranga-tamariki-section-7aa-urgent-inquiry/ [3]https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/government-warned-against-repealing-oranga-tamarikis-treaty-commitments/KXJFQ4PU35CSNIBMQE2O7Q6OJI/ https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2024/04/23/not-a-good-look-legal-expert-on-minister-karen-chhours-oranga-tamariki-act-change/ https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/514638/crown-lawyers-attempt-to-block-waitangi-tribunal-summons-to-minister-for-children https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/state-abuse-survivor-urges-against-repealing-oranga-tamariki-treaty-commitments/TG4N2SOFBRDXXMXRYAVKDPCMMA/ https://waateanews.com/2024/04/23/tupua-urlich-dedicated-maori-advocate/

It's the responsibility of people in government to make informed, thoughtful decisions that have long-term benefits for the future of the country. They should use the best knowledge, information and expertise available to guide their decisions to ensure all people and communities thrive, especially our young people.  By proposing to bring back the youth offender boot camps, this Government is not following the best expertise or knowledge. Youth offender boot camps are proven to be ineffective. When they were trialled in 2008, reoffending rates were 85-87% within two years [2]. Despite the evidence that they do not work, this Government is proposing to bring them back.  Youth offender boot camps for young people have been proven locally, and internationally to be unsuccessful in preventing young people from reoffending due to their failure to respond to the long term and complex reasons why young people become involved with the justice system in the first place. Youth offender boot camps punish children who have been failed by an unequal society. They disproportionately impact Māori youth and children who have experiences of homelessness, violence, poverty, mental health issues, or disabilities. Aotearoa’s youth offender boot camps of 2008 were shockingly unsuccessful, with reoffending rates of 85-87% within two years [2].  Children and young people need care and community connection. Removing children from their homes and communities, and punishing them without addressing the root causes of harm – such as disadvantage, challenging circumstances, economic need, and social disconnection – will only cause more harm. Youth boot camps isolate young people from the resources and social connections they need to heal and be supported.   Instead of solving problems caused by a lack of resources and services in many communities, our criminal justice system has been designed to lock people away. This hurts all of us, but it especially hurts Māori. This is because systemic racism means that young Māori are more likely to be arrested and convicted for the same crime as non-Māori [3]. Youth offender boot camps will continue this injustice and cause further harm to communities already hurting from ongoing colonisation.  The re-establishment of these boot camps will reinforce discriminatory attitudes, and misdirect resources away from solutions that address the root causes of harm. Instead, we can call on our decision makers to make sure young people and children are safe and cared for, by providing stable housing, high quality education, adequate incomes, food, and essential health, mental health and disability services.  The punitive approach of youth offender boot camps will not help young people, and will not address harm in our communities. This is why we are calling on the Government to say NO to Youth offender boot camps and say YES to addressing issues of poverty, homelessness, racism, and the mental health crisis.  If you agree with us please sign this petition and share it with your family and friends!  References and extra reading [1] RNZ. (2024). Boot camps for young offenders are expensive and do not work, critics say. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/510938/boot-camps-for-young-offenders-are-expensive-and-do-not-work-critics-say  [2] 1News Reporters. (2024). Youth offender boot camps ``become really abusive” – lawyer. 1News. https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/03/06/youth-offender-boot-camps-become-really-abusive-lawyer/ [3] Rangatahi Māori and Youth Justice Oranga Rangatahi https://iwichairs.maori.nz/assets/PDF/RESEARCH-Rangatahi-Maori-and-Youth-Justice-Oranga-Rangatahi.pdf

Making stalking a crime will help to protect our basic human right to live safely and free of fear in Aotearoa NZ. We need to do this now to prevent more severe distress and physical harm from stalking, including murders committed by stalkers. • Stalking is terrifying and common, and it can be deadly. Making stalking a crime would enable coordinated, systematic responses so victims get prompt, consistent, and effective protection which is not currently provided [1]. • Stalking is illegal overseas, but not explicitly in NZ, making it very difficult and often impossible for victims/survivors to get the protection they need. • Prior to the election, now-Minister Paul Goldsmith criticised the previous government for dragging its feet in this area, but he now indicates criminalising stalking is not a priority. • Police methods to determine stalking risks are inadequate and not fit-for-purpose, as identified by the Independent Police Complaints Authority in 2024, after the death of Farzana Yaqubi on 19 December 2022 [2]. Farzana's stalking complaint was still “awaiting investigation” when she was murdered by her stalker almost 8 weeks after she first contacted Auckland police. If stalking had been explicitly illegal, police would likely have had the correct tools to keep Farzana safe immediately. Stalking is a pattern of unwanted repetitive and persistent intrusions into a person’s life.  • Physically following someone is only one kind of stalking. Common repeated stalking actions include: digital stalking; showing up uninvited; driving past a home or workplace; confrontation; messaging repeatedly; posting on social media; delivering gifts; using spyware to get private information; making threats; contacting people close to the victim; and sabotaging the victim’s freedom and prospects. • To be considered stalking, these actions must be part of a pattern of repeated unwanted intrusions into someone’s life. • Stalking is common. In the USA, 1 in 6 women, and 1 in 17 men experience stalking in their lifetimes. NZ does not yet collect stalking data but harassment and threats, which are consistent with stalking, are two of the five most common crime experiences (2021 NZ Crime and Victims Survey). • Young women, recently separated women, and those experiencing intimate partner violence are most commonly affected by stalking. Wāhine Māori, disabled women, rainbow women and trans people, and migrant and refugee women are disproportionately impacted. • Those targeted for stalking include politicians, journalists, and celebrities, which can dissuade women from public roles or from speaking out. This silencing of women has a strong negative impact on both gender equity and our democracy. Stalking usually takes a heavy toll on victims’ emotional, mental, and physical well-being and is often far more dangerous than it looks from the outside.  • It is usually designed to control the victim through intimidation which is why it is so terrifying.  • Stalking can, and does, lead to physical violence, even death.  • As one victim put it: “I always thought at the beginning that if I could just ride it out then he would stop. But that never happened and it got worse and worse. It was very, very scary. It was extremely isolating […]there was never a time that I could escape it, ever.”[3]  NZ’s current laws: out-of-date • Various stalking-related behaviours are prohibited across a patchwork of fragmented, piecemeal, and poorly understood statutes, which fail to capture stalking's underlying harmful pattern.  • The lack of a stalking law prevents coordinated responses and prevents victims of stalking from getting prompt, consistent, and effective protection.  • Overseas, standard practice is to criminalise stalking, including in the US, Australia, England, Wales and the European Union. • We recognise every part of our justice system has a fundamentally racist track record: arresting, prosecuting, convicting, and incarcerating Māori at vastly higher rates than non-Māori. Over-incarceration of Māori continues to be used as a tool of on-going colonisation. We support Māori-led innovation through devolved resourcing and decision-making to address these issues, and we support sentencing that emphasises rehabilitation and keeps people safe. As well as criminalising stalking, the government needs to resource the prevention of stalking:  • Police training to recognise stalking and its harms, and take action to stop stalkers immediately • Anti-stalking intervention programmes  • Public awareness campaigns about stalking and its harms • Training for social and community workers re prevention and victim protection • Comprehensive data collection on stalking prevalence Women's safety needs higher prioritisation - politicians keep stringing us along.  • In August 2020 Justice Minister Andrew Little agreed a review of the law was needed.  • In 2021, the next Justice Minister Kris Faafoi committed to addressing the lack of legal redress for intimate partner stalking. However, nothing was done.  • In 2023, we worked to educate the political parties that action on stalking is urgent. Prior to the election, the National Party publicly supported the inclusion of stalking as a crime within the Crimes Act 1961.[4] New Zealanders need the National-led Government to act now to prevent more innocent people from living in fear and being harmed or murdered. A note from the ActionStation team: https://bit.ly/3woVhAW  References: [1] For more info on the policy background of this petition see: https://awc.org.nz/stalking/  [2] https://www.ipca.govt.nz/Site/publications-and-media/2024-media-releases/2024-apr-18-investigation-response-farzana-yaqubi-online-report-.aspx [3] https://womensrefuge.org.nz/intimate-partner-stalking/ [4] https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/election-2023-four-political-parties-pledge-to-strengthen-legal-protections-against-stalking/FQF3HDBPRBBFRLXQGJZODDRFVM/

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!