To make this vision a reality, we urge the Government to remove the 10-year condition for Parent Resident Visa holders and align their pathway to permanent residency with the 2-year standard used for other residency categories. This change would ensure fairness, reduce unnecessary hardships, and foster stronger family and community connections across Aotearoa. We need your support to make this change happen!  Please sign and share this petition with your friends and family to help us create a fair and inclusive pathway for Parent Resident Visa holders. Together, we can build a more united and compassionate Aotearoa.

Why is this important? In New Zealand we do not have the same access to pharmaceutical medications as the rest of the world. If we were to have open access, we would be in control of our own lives,  and could make choices that could significantly improve health and wellbeing. We have little power over what potentially harmful compounds are put in our food chain and because of this, obesity is on the rise in Aotearoa, and this is linked to Type 2 diabetes as a result. There are around 100,000 people in New Zealand living with undiagnosed diabetes. The people with a diagnosis of prediabetes if left unchecked risk developing Type 2.  Type 2 carries a high risk of comorbidity symptoms, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity, and hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), and other comorbidities include renal (kidney) disease, retinopathy (vision impairment), and cardiovascular conditions (heart attack and stroke). People with type 2 diabetes may also experience depression and anxiety.  Ozempic, Wegovy, Trulicity, and Mounjaro can make a real difference in people’s lives. Studies and new research demonstrate the long-term effectiveness of these drugs in controlling blood sugar and weight loss. Over 50 percent of type 2 diabetes cases can be prevented or delayed therefore improving our health and wellbeing. We see the difference it has made in other countries. Please sign the petition so we can help ourselves and our loved ones before they are diagnosed with something irreversible. Further Reading:  [1] People who have type 2 diabetes have an increased amount of sugar in their blood, also called blood glucose. Increased blood sugar happens because your body’s insulin doesn’t work as well as it should. Ozempic, Wegovy, Trulicity, and Mounjaro help to keep your blood sugar levels from getting too high. In your body, these medicines act like a hormone called GLP-1. It stimulates your body to make more insulin after you eat, prevents your liver from releasing stored sugar, and slows the movement of food through your body.  GLP-1 is a hormone produced by the body's intestinal cells that helps regulate blood sugar and food intake. It's produced when the proglucagon gene is processed in the intestinal endocrine L-cells. GLP-1 is produced in the intestines, pancreas, and neurons. When you eat, GLP-1 triggers the pancreas to release insulin, which helps move sugar from your bloodstream into your cells. GLP-1 also slows down digestion and reduces appetite.  GLP-1 receptor agonists that treat Type 2 diabetes are Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, and Dulaglutide which are all medications used to treat Type 2 Diabetes and obesity. They are glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) that help lower blood sugar and body weight. So both semaglutide and tirzepatide work by acting like hormones your body normally makes after you eat. They can make your stomach empty more slowly so that you won’t want to eat again as soon. They also send signals to the brain that tell you you’re full. The main difference is that tirzepatide mimics two hormones while semaglutide mimics one.  https://www.webmd.com/obesity/mounjaro-ozempic-wegovy-zepbound-difference.  And https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Consumers/cmi/t/trulicity.pdf [2] A Press New Zealand article quotes “Peter Shepherd, a molecular medicine professor at Auckland University and expert in diabetes and obesity, saying the long-term impact of Ozempic “could be huge” for New Zealanders” Also Associate Professor Hesham Al-Sallami, at the University of Otago, an expert on diabetes and obesity medication, believes if Ozempic or similar medicines were funded in New Zealand, it would take considerable pressure off the hospital system. [3] “If Ozempic can help patients lose weight, this could reduce the number of people getting type-2 diabetes in the first place,” . “If this drug is made accessible in New Zealand as a weight-loss medication and is funded by Pharmac for that use as well, this could have considerably positive health outcomes for the country, taking pressure off the hospital system by reducing things like heart attacks and strokes.” https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/350430990/why-miracle-weight-loss-drug-still-not-available-nz References: Why is this important?  https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/40/3/352/36943/Type-2-Diabetes-and-Comorbid-Symptoms-of https://info.health.nz/conditions-treatments/ https://www.hri.org.nz/health/learn/cardiovascular-disease/diabetes https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ozempic-wegovy-improve-blood-sugar-levels-and-weight-loss-in-type-2-diabetes-study#:~:text=New%20data%20shows%20that%20drugs,long%20way%20in%20recent%20years. What is Type-2 Diabetes:  https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/treating-your-diabetes/insulin/resistance https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/complications.  https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-diabetes/type-2-diabetes

We all want Aotearoa New Zealand to be a place where everyone can thrive. Certainly a place where survivors of abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions can thrive. We know that what has happened to the estimated 250,000 vulnerable adults, children, and babies is a “national disgrace” according to Judge Coral Shaw, former Chair of the Abuse in Care Royal Commision of Inquiry.  The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Final Report, Whanaketia: Through pain and trauma, from darkness to light, has 138 recommendations to improve the State Care system, Faith-based Institutions and other departments that have worked with some of New Zealand’s most vulnerable people [1]. The Interim Report, He Purapura Ora, he Māra Tipu from Redress to Puretumu Torowhānui, has 95 Holistic Recommendations to improve the current redress systems (Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Health, Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for Children and Ministry of Education) for survivors of abuse in care [2]. Summary of the recommendations are: • expansion of oranga, or wellbeing, services and support services for survivors and their whānau • increased financial payments for survivors • training for those working with survivors • establishment of a listening service  • development of processes for referring allegations of abuse to other agencies • better monitoring of, and reporting on, abuse and systemic issues • memorials and other projects to honour survivors and remember abuse • enactment of a right to be free from abuse in care, as well as a duty to protect this right • an exception to accident compensation legislation • changes to laws relating to civil litigation  • a review of legal aid rates  • a model litigant policy for the Crown • improvements to the handling of survivors’ requests for records, including as few redactions of survivors’ records as possible • a review of record-creation and record-keeping practices. The Abuse in Care Inquiry has been in progress for the past six years. This is the largest inquiry into abuse in care that Aotearoa New Zealand has ever had. These reports from the inquiry shed light on the harrowing and horrific experiences that survivors faced while in the care of the state and faith-based institutions, and emphasise the profound impact that abuse has had on survivors’ lives. Now is the time for action: for people across Aotearoa to come together and be part of the process that ensures that survivors in Aotearoa can thrive.  By signing this petition, you are standing up for the rights of survivors and sending a clear message to the Crown: They have a duty of care to survivors, and a duty to implement all of the recommendations from the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry. Together, let's ensure that survivors are supported.  Join us in this crucial fight by signing the petition today and spreading the word to your friends, family, and community. Together, we can make a difference and safeguard the future of care and help survivors of abuse in State and Faith-based Care to thrive.  _________ Additional information and references: In February 2018, former Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, and former Minister for Internal Affairs, Tracey Martin, announced that there would be a Royal Commission of Inquiry into abuse in care [3]. However, the formal work of the inquiry didn’t commence until January 2019.  Since 2019, the Inquiry has conducted a number of Hearings [4]: • September to October 2020 - State Redress Hearing held  • November to December 2020 - Faith-based Redress (Phase 1) Hearing held • March 2021 - Faith-based Redress (Phase 2) Hearing held • May 2021 - Children's State Residential Hearing held • June 2021 - Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit Hearing held • July 2021 - Tulou - Our Pacific Voices: Tatala e Pulonga (Pacific People's Experiences) Hearing held • February 2022 - Marylands school (St John of God) Hearing held • March 2022 - Tō muri the p`o Roa, tērā a Pokopoko White-te-raa (Māori Experiences) Hearing held • June 2022 - Foster Care Hearing held • July 2022 - Ūhia te Māramatanga Disability, Deaf and Mental Health Institutional Care Hearing Held • August 2022 - State Institutional Response Hearing held • October 2022 - Faith-based Institutions Response Hearing held  The final report of the Inquiry was presented to the Governor General, Her Excellency The Right Honourable Dame Cindy Kiro GNZM, QSO on 25 June 2024, and released publicly following the tabling of the Final Report in the House of Representatives on 24 July 2024 [5].     1 - https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/reports/whanaketia 2 - https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/reports/from-redress-to-puretumu/ 3 - https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/inquiry-abuse-state-care 4 - https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/about-us/timeline/ 5 - Parliament Video | New Zealand Parliament videos.parliament.nz    *Disclaimer: more information will be provided in the Updates section Image credit: Designed by artist Ruby Jones in collaboration with Karah Mackie and survivors of abuse in care

We all want thriving schools and early childcare centres, warm and dry homes, and a strong healthcare system.  We get these vital public services through sharing our resources into a collective pool – this pool is our tax system: we all contribute, so that we can all flourish. But right now, our public services are crumbling. The combination of successive governments not allocating enough resources to them, while at the same time allowing the wealthy to avoid contributing their fair share, means our public services can't meet our collective needs. As a result we’re struggling to build new hospitals or get new ferries, or hire enough nurses, doctors, teachers and social workers. IRD research shows that the 311 wealthiest families in Aotearoa effectively pay 9.4% of their overall income in taxes, while the majority of everyday people pay over 20%.(1) This isn’t right. A capital gains tax is an important pillar of a balanced tax system that ensures everyone contributes a fair share of the income they make to the collective pool. By increasing the resources going back into the pool, we will then be able to allocate more to our public services - our schools, hospitals and more.  Right now, income from selling assets isn't taxed like our income from salary or wages. This means that a lot of wealthy people who make money from buying and selling assets, like investment properties, don't contribute a fair amount of the profits they make to our collective resource pool. Buying and selling homes is being treated as a get-rich-quick scheme for people who already have access to wealth. For example, a person can sell a home that they don’t even need to live in and instantly make four times what an average person earns during a year, without paying any tax at all. (2) This is very different to the vast majority of countries worldwide, including all of those we most frequently compare ourselves to, who already have a capital gains tax in place.(3) We are lagging behind.  Polling last year showed that a majority of people in Aotearoa are in favour of a capital gains tax - while support continues to grow across different sectors calling for this to change, most recently from ANZ CE Antonia Watson, Mainfreight Founder Bruce Plested and PWC tax partner Sandy Lau.  (4) (5) It’s time to strengthen our collective pool so we can allocate the resources our  public and community services need to help families and communities flourish! References: 1. IRD High Net Worth Individuals Research Project 2023  2. Christopher Luxon expected to make a capital gain of $295,000 from selling one of his seven properties this month 3. PWC - Global CGT Rates 4. Media Release: Poll Shows Clear Support for Tax Reform  5. A roll call of all the people championing a capital gains tax. Spinoff 

The ageing Interislander ferries must be replaced. We believe it’s crucial that new ferries are rail-enabled and publicly owned, letting rail freight and equipment move easily between the North and South Islands. Without rail-enabled ferries, the two islands’ rail networks will be disconnected, restricting the movement of goods and putting the South Island’s whole rail network at risk. Current and future passenger rail services also rely on a viable national rail network.  The government said in its transport policy statement that it would prioritise making the best use of existing transport infrastructure. The only decision consistent with this policy is to ensure future ferries are rail-enabled and remain in public ownership.

Everyone should have access to decent, secure and permanently affordable housing. But right now, many people in our communities are experiencing homelessness – living on couches, in cars, in overcrowded houses and in unhealthy and unsafe conditions.  For too long people in government have chosen not to allocate resources to public housing, while prioritising policies that encourage property speculators to buy up huge amounts of houses. As a result home ownership and access to decent, secure and affordable housing has become harder and harder for everyday people. This Government's recent decision to make access to emergency housing more difficult, is increasing the harm and risk of homelessness in our communities[1].  These policy changes were able to be implemented because there is currently no legislative responsibility on government agencies to support someone who is at-risk of homelessness.  In the midst of a housing crisis, where there is already not enough decent and stable housing available within our communities, this Government has chosen to stall public housing builds across the country[2], cancel funding for youth housing services[3], and reduce access to emergency housing. These policies push the burden of responsibility for homelessness on individuals, rather than addressing the complex and systemic challenges that enable homelessness to occur. Together these policies will deepen the housing crisis Aotearoa is facing. Duty to Assist legislation would begin to address the systemic issues that prevent people from getting support when they need it. It would place the burden of responsibility back onto the system, and ensure that if you or I experience homelessness, or were at risk of homelessness, we would be provided with the support we need in our moment of crisis. In Wales, Duty to Assist legislation has been successful in the prevention of homelessness, through supporting people to remain in their housing and access the support services they need. The legislation also requires local authorities to provide emergency housing as a temporary measure while they fulfil their ‘duty to secure accommodation’ which means they must continue to find permanent and stable homes for people.[4] In Aotearoa, Duty to Assist legislation, alongside a commitment to increasing public housing, would get us on a path out of the housing crisis and towards a future where everyone has a place to call home. Supporting Organizations: AAAP Kick Back VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai ZEAL Just Speak Ara Taiohi System Change Aotearoa FASD-CAN References: [1] Government was warned emergency housing crackdown could increase homelessness. RNZ, 20 August 2024 https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/525607/government-was-warned-emergency-housing-crackdown-could-increase-homelessness  [2] The impact of tougher emergency housing policies in two regions. 1News, 15 September 2024 https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/09/15/the-impact-of-tougher-emergency-housing-policies-in-two-regions/  [3] Social worker fears young Kiwis being abandoned by Government after transitional youth housing funds reallocated. Newshub, 05 June 2024 https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/06/social-worker-fears-young-kiwis-being-abandoned-by-government-after-transitional-youth-housing-funds-reallocated.html  [4] Overview of the council’s duties to people experiencing homelessness in Wales. Shelter CYMRU, 7 March 2024 https://sheltercymru.org.uk/housing-advice/homelessness/help-from-the-council/new-homelessness-laws/ 

This issue is undeniably important to New Zealand, especially in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings.  It is a matter which implicates the lives of many people including school children, vulnerable communities such as the Muslim community and the LGBTQ+ community, as well as those struggling with their mental health. By making it harder to access semi-automatic weapons, we are able to increase the safety of everyone.   It is clear from observing other countries, especially the United States, that unrestricted access to semi-automatic weapons leads to violence and division. While it may not seem likely that slight changes to gun laws in Aotearoa could have a large effect, one must remember two key points: firstly, that the Christchurch shooter obtained his weapon completely legally; and secondly, that the state of mental health support in Aotearoa is abysmal. Without treating this second point, something which the current government seems to have no real intention of doing, allowing even slightly looser access to semi-automatics is a massive safety risk. It provides a space for a dangerous weapon to leave the hands of an ordinary person and fall into the hands of somebody with ill intentions. Even if there are only non-regular incidents of gun violence following these law changes, the fate of the dead and injured will be in the government’s hands.  While the proposed changes are on the surface somewhat innocent - aiming to rectify the difficulty of some recreational gun users in carrying out their hobby - it carries a confusing sense of urgency and secrecy for a process which by all accounts should be taken as slowly, carefully, and yes, even bureaucratically as possible. Consultation should expand to include the opinions of the entirety of Aotearoa, not just select groups of individuals. I think it is naive to expect that these changes will only affect a small number of people. It would be unsurprising if this was only the beginning of a series of changes to gun laws in Aotearoa; Nicole Mckee, the Minister in charge of the reform, is a former gun lobbyist who may be interested in emulating the gun culture in the United States.  About me I am a year 13 student from Kapiti College who is concerned about gun safety in Aotearoa. I believe in maintaining a peaceful and safe society for everyone, regardless of their background or beliefs. As a young person in Aotearoa, I want to feel confident that the government is making decisions that prioritise the safety and well-being of all communities, rather than catering to a few special interest groups. Any changes to our gun laws must be done with full transparency and public consultation. I believe that by opening up the conversation, we can come to a solution that balances the needs of recreational gun users with the safety concerns of the wider population. I urge Minister Nicole Mckee and the coalition government to release the consultation document and ensure that any changes to our gun laws are made with the input of the public, the police, and those most affected by gun violence. Together, we can build a safer Aotearoa.

Functional Neurological Disorder is becoming a fast growing condition in New Zealand. While no one person is born with it, many have come to be diagnosed with FND with growing global awareness of this condition, its poor reaction to mrna vaccines, the lack of helpful and preventative treatment and breach of the code of patient rights. FND is a disabling and devastating condition. Symptoms range from a faint, to seizures,  paralysis, pain, immobility to say a few, and that comes with a lot of psychological damage to one's self esteem. There are many cases of delayed or mistreatment from lack of understanding, including being locked away from family homes, being accused of being crazy, being told we deserve it, not being treated, gaslit, and difficult to get help, or having to wait years for proper assessment. For 37 years I believed I was epileptic and had fibromyalgia. FND was not widely considered at all then. This meant decades of mismanagement, mis-medication, career paths denied, and absolutely no treatment for the real condition. Because of those consequences, I have been - avoided in the street - as I was weaving from medication, yelled at by doctors because they did not know what was going on, accused of not taking my medicines, which I have always taken religiously. I have been subject to abusive situations because of the effects of the medications I did not need. Personally, I have been waiting for nearly 3 years to have the acknowledgement that I even require treatment, and the only reason it has happened THAT QUICKLY is because of the consistent follow up and bringing things to ACC attention. It is exhausting, stress inducing, and causes further harm to FND clients. While I have been compliant and have undertaken every possible process, I am still here, waiting for treatment, 3 years after diagnosis, 43 years after it started. As such, I call on  the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Disabled People, Ministry of Social Development and ACC to take these  three actions. 1. They must adhere to  the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights in every manner regarding FND patient's, diagnosis, treatment and handling by all related staff, including management of patient records and expunged files or diagnosis, and supervision of medical applications used by practices for mismanagement and breach of patient privacy by mis-sharing patient information. 2. They must collaboratively discuss and compile treatment plans and support services for patients in a timely manner so as to prevent further chronic harm. 3. Inclusion of FND in its language and education policies, inclusive of medical staff, acc staff, social workers, and educators of medicine, to better facilitate healthy discussion and further beneficial research around this condition. There is no cure for FND, and while things continue to get worse at an alarming rate, the care in New Zealand is not keeping up. If the Ministry of Health, Ministry for Disabilities and ACC collaboratively create an early treatment plan it could help prevent FND from becoming chronically worse and in some cases, may even reduce symptoms for a short period of time.  I want to see the Government put its people first.  We deserve a good quality of life, with dignity and mana and with whanau around to support us. Not be treated like a burden and excluded from jobs, community and even medical care.   I want to see our future moko be treated with respect and dignity when going into the medical system.  These three steps can lead us towards a positive sustainable change within the health care system that will benefit all people living with FND. Join us by making the health care system more just for everyone!  Sign this petition and share it with friends and family.  Further reading: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/functional-neurologic-disorder. www.fndaware.nz  bFM Interview https://95bfm.com/bcast/get-action-protect-and-support-people-with-functional-neurological-disorder-w-keremia-tairua-9th

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!