A Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) test as a screening test is a proven BETTER TEST than a cervical smear. Cervical cancer is now preventable. We have had the HPV vaccination introduced (free for all aged 9-26 years) - the next urgent step, to save more lives, is the introduction of HPV self–testing. HPV causes almost all cervical cancers. Testing for HPV is now a more effective and safer screening test to prevent cervical cancer than the current screen of cervical cytology (the smear). Everyone with a cervix can do it for themselves! The science is irrefutable. The current screening system is inferior, inequitable and unacceptable. Government have knowingly persisted in using the inferior cervical screening test which will see more women lose their lives. The Ministry of Health is committed to introducing HPV primary screening and self-testing but implementation of this requires government funding to support the programme change - the current screening register is not fit for purpose. HPV self-testing will address inequities in cervical cancer. Wāhine Māori are more than 2.5 times more likely to die of cervical cancer than non-Māori. HPV self-testing is a game changer. The self-test has already been proven to be a very acceptable test for those wāhine under/never-screened. It can be done at a clinic, at home, where-ever is best. Anyone who has a cervix, including trans, non-binary and intersex people can get cervical cancer however it’s hard to love having a cervical smear. It’s uncomfortable, it’s invasive and for some there is also anxiety, whakama, mistrust and previous bad or traumatic experiences. Māori and non-Māori will suffer unnecessary harm and death from cervical cancer unless this new HPV self-test is urgently introduced. We want to see all who are eligible for cervical screening offered this better test. The World Health Organisation is pushing for global elimination of cervical cancer – because of its high level of performance, countries are being encouraged to transition to HPV testing as the primary method of screening. Other countries have already switched to HPV testing as a primary test including England, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Australia. Let's make Aotearoa New Zealand next! Our lives matter. Me aro kī te hā o Hine–ahu-one - Pay heed to the dignity of women. Ngā mihi, Tracey, Francesca, Jordy, Vanessa, Natalia & Kim - on behalf of many others who want this heard, those who are already diagnosed and in memory of those who have tragically lost their lives to this preventable cancer. This petition has the backing of Smear Your Mea, the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, Te Rōpū Whakakaupapa Urutā (National Māori Pandemic Group) and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Recent media coverage: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/health/2021/04/why-the-government-should-introduce-self-testing-kits-for-hpv.html More information can be found at: https://www.nsu.govt.nz/health-professionals/national-cervical-screening-programme/hpv-primary-screening

Right now in New Zealand, paternal leave is optional and only at a maximum of up to 2 weeks of unpaid work leave. Extending this for a longer period of time with pay would have many benefits. Some of which include: a break for mothers, especially those who are suffering postnatal depression. As well as, fathers feeling more encouraged to take time off to spend with their baby, and research proves that this initial bond with fathers improves every aspect of the child hauora further along in life. The paid paternal leave provides the fathers with motivation to actually take time off. Being a parent is hard, although this would not make parenting a piece of cake, however, it would make it that much easier. Paternity leave in New Zealand: https://www.findlaw.co.nz/articles/4283/paternity-leave-in-new-zealand.aspx Modernising Parental Leave - Regulatory Impact Analysis: https://www.mbie.govt.nz/assets/f58553252a/ris-2015-modernising-parental-leave.pdf How does Swedish parental leave work? https://everythingsweden.com/parental-leave-in-sweden/ Few Kiwi dads taking paid parental leave for fatherhood https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/few-kiwi-dads-taking-paid-parental-leave-for-fatherhood/ORMFAUOCSWWZP6OEMQ3ZUR4QDM/

Whānau forms the foundation of our society. If we treat all families well and support them to thrive from the get go, our communities will flourish. We need to start investing real money and resources into whānau wellbeing, starting with maternity care. Over the last 12 months we’ve seen the ability of our government to respond rapidly and decisively to a crisis. We’ve seen them open their purse and pour money into our economy. We know that they’re capable of making big decisions to save lives and keep our communities safe. And now we need to see them step up with that same kind of energy to address the maternity crisis that we are in. Every pregnant person, parent and baby in Aotearoa deserves the very best care that we can provide as a society. The compassionate and skilled midwives and doctors providing life-changing and life-saving care across Aotearoa deserve to work in conditions where their wellbeing - as well as that of their patients - is protected. Right now we’re not even coming close, but together we have the power to change this. Our government works for us, and it’s our responsibility to join our voices and demand that our government solves this crisis. Not through incremental changes and stop-gap funding, but through a full rebirth of our maternity sector. Thank you for signing this petition. Further Information: PMMRC 14th Annual Report (2021) https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/our-programmes/mrc/pmmrc/publications-and-resources/publication/4210/ PMMRC recommendations https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/assets/PMMRC/Publications/14thPMMRCreport/Appendices_B-F_Recommendation_tables.pdf RANZCOG commentary on Maternal Mental Health https://ranzcog.edu.au/news/ranzcog-backs-call-for-action-to-reduce-inequitabl MERAS 2020 election priorities https://meras.midwife.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/07/MERAS-Election-Priorities.pdf Media commentary: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018783765/baby-mortality-for-young-maori-pacific-indian-mothers-needs-urgent-action-report https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018783766/capital-s-hospital-maternity-service-stretched-paper-thin-midwives-union https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/436561/crap-pay-and-horrible-conditions-midwives-at-breaking-point-in-capital-dhb https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/436784/fatigue-burnout-as-dhbs-stretched-to-the-limit-union-warns

40 million people globally are in modern slavery. Unlike many other countries, New Zealand has no legislation that requires companies to undertake due diligence looking into the risks of modern slavery within their supply chains and taking actions to address those risks. Modern Slavery legislation is a key way for New Zealand companies to work together to eliminate modern slavery in private and public sector supply chains. WHAT IS MODERN SLAVERY? Modern slavery is the severe exploitation of other people for personal or commercial gain. Modern slavery is in the clothes you wear, the coffee you drink and the goods you love. WHY DO WE NEED A MODERN SLAVERY ACT? 40 million people globally are in modern slavery. There are more people in slavery now than in any other time in history. The world is small and interconnected. Every time we purchase a product there is a chain reaction felt around the world. No country or industry is unaffected. Unlike many other countries, New Zealand has no accountability legislation that addresses transparency in supply chains. This means that New Zealand companies could unknowingly be importing products or services by which people are exploited and enslaved. WHAT WOULD A MODERN SLAVERY ACT DO? Modern Slavery Acts make it easier for a consumer to expect slavery-free products and services from companies. They help prevent slavery through transparency and accountability. They require businesses to understand the risks of modern slavery in their purchasing, to report on those risks and take action to address them. They give the business community guidance and a level playing field. For further information, resources and to get involved check out our campaign website - https://www.signforfreedom.nz/

Based on current Covid vaccine supply projections, 9 out of 10 people in low-income developing countries won't get a vaccine in 2021. WTO rules allow pharmaceutical companies to enforce intellectual property rules like patents on their vaccines, blocking other manufacturers from producing the vaccine. This artificially restricts the supply of vaccines, driving up prices. In March, Aotearoa New Zealand should support the South African and Indian proposal at the World Trade Organisation to temporarily relax these rules for Covid-19 vaccines, so other manufacturers can increase global vaccine production and bring down prices. Currently wealthy countries are hoarding the limited supply of vaccine doses. Developing countries face a diminished allocation of vaccine doses, and a much longer pandemic. · This is unfair: access to life-saving equipment and medicines should not be based on who can pay; it should be based on need. · It is unsafe: delays on vaccinations around the world could leave us all unsafe. The virus, left to reproduce, will continue to mutate. · The free-for-all in buying up vaccines is exploitative: individuals and communities in developing countries have contributed to trials and are now being abandoned. · It will entrench global inequality: while wealthy countries get vaccines first, and their economies are able to open up, developing countries will still be fighting the pandemic. · Delaying worldwide vaccination will harm the global economy. A new study commissioned by the ICC Research Foundation found that the global economy could lose up to US$9.2 trillion if developing economies are denied access to Covid-19 vaccines. For more information on the People´s Vaccine and the South African and Indian proposal at the WTO, check out our article in The Spinoff: https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/29-01-2021/new-zealand-needs-to-get-on-board-the-peoples-vaccine/

This film is ableist and includes the torture of Autism Spectrum Disorder people with a restraint method that has caused death and is a cause of massive trauma for those who have survived it. I'm really terrified about the underdiagnosis of autism. I spent 36 years not getting diagnosed for it because of media portrayals like this that are inaccurate and harmful. The fact that this has been greenlit by NZ's cinema complexes is highly disturbing. This will do damage to the ASD community as well as prevent people from getting treatment for ASD. The under diagnosis of ASD because of bad science and media portrayals has been labelled a "lost generation". You can read a harrowing paper on the effects here in a very accessible format for non-science people: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/aut.2019.0069

The teaching profession has been facing a supply crisis for a long time. Attracting and retaining quality teachers is paramount if we are going to maintain the high standards of teaching and learning that New Zealanders expect and deserve. The pressures of the job are already such that young graduates and those considering a career change feel they can earn better money and have a better work-life balance elsewhere. Having to cover the cost of a registration and certification personally – unlike nurses or social workers, for instance, whose registration costs are covered by their employers – is another barrier that the profession cannot afford. Teachers deserve a Teaching Council that they can trust, and that trusts them. If we are to keep the profession to the world-leading standard that it is today, we must honour that with fair fees, a high-trust model of certification, and a Council that performs its core functions effectively and efficiently. Nothing more, and nothing less.

“No country can claim to have achieved universal healthcare if it has not adequately and equitably met the needs of those with rare diseases.” Helen Clark, United Nations Sue Haldane, a mother of a child with a rare disorder (22q Deletion Syndrome), has spent 17 years dealing with barriers within our health system to ensure her daughter Lizzie’s needs are met. Now Sue is determined that the journey will be easier for future generations of New Zealanders living with a rare disorder – currently around 6% of the population, or 300,000 people. “I would make no changes to Lizzie’s lovely self, but I crave many, many changes to the world she lives in,” says Sue. Despite the low prevalence of each rare disorder (defined as a health condition that affects 1 in 2,000 people or less), collectively they affect many families, with 1 in 17 people living with a rare health condition – more than those diagnosed with diabetes. Sue is leading the Rare Disorders NZ collective petition to Parliament, calling for the establishment of a National Rare Disorder Framework. Despite the range of rare health conditions, the rare disorder community encounter many common barriers within our health system, including access to care, medicines and support. New Zealanders would be shocked to learn that we lag far behind most OECD countries in supporting people living with rare disorders and their families to access the best healthcare. Australia announced support of a national plan for rare disorder patients in late 2018, ensuring that no one is left behind. New Zealand needs inclusive policies which acknowledge barriers for the thousands of vulnerable children, adults and their caregivers who continue to fall through the cracks. We believe a shift in mindset is needed for rare disorders to stop being considered in isolation, and instead to be regarded as a significant factor within health policy frameworks. This is in alignment with the global rare disorder movement headed by Rare Disease International. It’s time for New Zealand to take rare disorders seriously to ensure equitable health outcomes for everyone. Rare is part of our communities and deserves a fair go. [Statement from UN Development Programme Administrator Helen Clark to the International Conference on Rare Diseases & Orphan Drugs, Cape Town, 20 October 2016.]

The way the Department of Corrections is currently handling the Waikeria Uprising breaches the human rights of these protesters. As human beings, the protesters deserve food and water. Currently, Corrections is denying them this and won't allow anyone in to deliver these basic needs. It would be an important sign of good faith to the protesters if they are granted this basic human right. Is New Zealand a country that starves people who are protesting for basic human rights?

Waka ama is significantly and widely practiced in new zealand, tahiti and hawai'i. The level of competition is high throughout Te Moana Nui a Kiwa and the sport is still going strong despite Covid-19. There is cultural recognition of mana in the sport, outrigger canoe racing is a competitive and dominant sport, widely seen as good spectating friendly, the skill and technique is robust hard and fast, power and speed. Races: Midgets: W6 250m Intermediates: W6 500m straight & W6 500m turns / W1 500m & W1 250m dash J16s: W6 1000m turns & W6 500m straight / W1 500m & W1 250m dash J19s: W6 1000m turns & W6 500m straight / W1 500m & W1 250m dash Opens: W6 1000m turns & W6 500m straights / W1 500m & W1 250m dash Masters: W6 1000m turns & W6 500m straights / W1 500m & W1 250m dash

This petition is to demonstrate that the operational changes to be made to Mason Avenue Kindergarten, Nina Busing Kindergarten and Papakura West Kindergarten are not supported by families and the community. The Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association (CMKA) have been rolling out operational changes to all the kindergartens, which has resulted in the loss of the traditional kindy model. If this is not stopped, the last three kindergartens yet to change will be open from 8am – 3:30pm/5pm and will operate throughout the school holidays. Key points: • The quality of teaching and learning will be negatively affected by these operational changes. • Introducing multiple sessions and flexible drop off and pick up times will change the structure and create an unsettling environment for children. • Parents send their children to kindergarten to receive high quality early childhood education under a play based model that reflects the school day. • Longer hours for children - we believe the six hour session time of 8:30am – 2:30pm is long enough for 3-5 year olds. Current research supports this. • The kindergarten will be required to fill the spots for the extra hours so that funding is maximised. • Children need the holidays to rest and recharge, as do the teachers. • Kindergartens have long attracted high quality teachers and risk losing their staff due to unfavourable working conditions. • The choice parents have in regards to early childhood education is removed. A traditional kindergarten is different from a privatised daycare model. There are numerous other childcare centres in Franklin that have longer opening hours and availability during term breaks. • There will no longer be term breaks and fee paying families must continue to pay, regardless of whether their child attends or not. We strongly believe these changes are not in the best interests of our children and community. We propose that the CMKA responds to the community and Mason Avenue Kindergarten, Nina Busing Kindergarten and Papakura West Kindergarten continue to operate as a traditional kindergarten by keeping the current hours of 8:30am – 2:30pm and not operating during term breaks. These three centres are considered highly functioning kindergartens with large waitlists, active parent communities and strong fundraising capabilities - why fix something that isn’t broken? We will deliver the petition directly to CMKA CEO Calmar Ulberg and The Board of Management.

No matter who we are or where we live, we know that our wellbeing is interconnected with those around us. When everyone has what they need to look after themselves and fully participate in their communities, we all flourish. We all want every child in Aotearoa to experience a thriving and happy childhood. But right now, hundreds of thousands of children are constrained by poverty, despite parents’ best efforts. We’ve had a long period of low wages and high housing costs. For decades, governments have underinvested in key public services that build well-being in all our communities, like public housing and income support. Many governments have prioritised policies that help the already well-off, including people who make money from housing. As a result, too many parents are under-resourced, overstressed, and unable to give their children real opportunities to thrive. Now due to the ongoing COVID-19 economic fallout, more families are being pushed into poverty. Unemployment has risen at a record-breaking pace — increasing by nearly a third in the three months to September. Foodbanks and youth homelessness services are reporting huge increases in demand. By Christmas, it’s expected Work and Income will have allocated over 2.5 million hardship grants and advances this year alone. The situation is urgent. As the new government, you can release the growing constraints on individuals, families, and children. We are calling on you to lift one of the biggest limitations on whānau and child wellbeing: not having enough income. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, you acted quickly to set up the COVID income relief payment, which is nearly twice the amount of the usual jobseeker benefit. You showed us that you understand that current benefit levels are insufficient and lock families and children into poverty — an issue that affects all of us. Now, we are asking you to apply the same common sense approach to all income support. To make sure everyone, whether they are working, caring for children, living with a disability or illness, learning, or have lost their jobs before or because of COVID-19, has a liveable income. Doing so will help achieve your vision of making Aotearoa the best place to be a child. Before the election, the Labour party has consistently said there’s more work to be done to lift families out of poverty. You now have the mandate and opportunity to do so. Please increase income support before Christmas. Organisations who have signed the open letter are: ActionStation Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers Auckland Action Against Poverty Auckland City Mission Auckland Women’s Centre Barnardos Belong Aotearoa Beneficiaries & Unwaged Worker Trust Beneficiary Advocacy Services Christchurch Benefit Rights Service Birthright NZ Brainwave Trust Aotearoa CCS Disability Action Child Poverty Action Group Citizens Advice Bureau Community Housing Aotearoa Community Networks Aotearoa Disabled Persons Assembly E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services Equality Network FinCap FIRST Union Gender Justice Collective Gene Now Financial Literacy Trust Generation Zero Heretaunga Women’s Centre Hutt Valley Benefit Education Service Trust (BEST) Kore Hiakai Zero Hunger Collective Lifewise Manaaki Rangatahi Manawatū Tenants’ Union Māngere East Community Centre Māngere East Family Services M.E. Awareness NZ Mental Health Foundation Methodist Alliance Monte Cecilia Housing Trust National Council of Women New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services New Zealand Council of Trade Unions New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations Ngā Tāngata Microfinance NZ Disability Advisory Trust NZ Accessibility Advisory Trust NZEI Te Riu Roa OMEP Aotearoa Pacific Women’s Watch NZ PPTA Public Issues Network: Methodist Church Public Service Association Renters United Salvation Army Save the Children Sisters of Mercy Wiri Social Justice Group of the Auckland Anglican Diocese Social Link St Anne's Pantry St Matthews in the City Te Kupenga Whakaoti Mahi Patunga: National Network of Family Violence Services Te Ngākau Kahukura Tick for Kids Tokona Te Raki United Community Action Network Unite Union Aotearoa Urban Neighbours of Hope VisionWest Waipareira Trust We Are Beneficiaries Wesley Community Action Whānau Āwhina Plunket