• End library book fines in Ōtautahi
    There is "...no evidence that library overdue charges are an incentive for returning items on time. The experience of libraries in New Zealand and overseas is that overdue charges are a more effective deterrent and barrier to library usage, disproportionately impacting members of the community on lower and fixed incomes." (1). This change is important as it will bring Ōtautahi up to par with its peers across Aotearoa including Auckland, Carterton, Clutha, Dunedin, Masterton, Nelson, Selwyn, South Taranaki, South Wairarapa, Stratford, Upper Hutt, Waikato and Waimakariri that have, and or are removing these fines because evidence does not support that they work, and that they create barriers to access and learning. We have also seen post lockdown when the Council encouraged people to return books with a fee waiver we did, lets now make that permanent (2). (1). Report to Dunedin City Council from 27 October 2021 when they decided in favour- https://infocouncil.dunedin.govt.nz/Open/2021/10/CNL_20211027_AGN_1542_AT.PDF (2). https://newsline.ccc.govt.nz/news/story/libraries-issue-call-to-return-overdue-books
    292 of 300 Signatures
    Created by Josiah Tualamali'i
  • Support survivors abused in care
    We all need to support survivors, provide them the justice they deserve and support setting up an entity with the appropriate authority to address New Zealand’s continuing abuse in care crisis. In 2018 after huge public pressure, the Labour-led Government launched a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in care. Over three years the Inquiry heard evidence of abuse of children and vulnerable adults in care. As many as a quarter-million tamariki are likely to have been abused over decades. The evidence showed institutions chose the protection of their reputation and financial assets over help for the victims of abuse in their care, and have created barriers to discourage survivors reporting abuse. The Government is currently considering the Inquiry's recommendations for providing redress to survivors. However, survivors are not confident they will include the state entity they are asking for or be inclusive of all survivors abused in the care of an institution. It would be a mistake for the Government to set up a body that is not inclusive and separates State abuse from that of other institutions, such as churches or sports clubs. The Government is ultimately responsible for ensuring children and vulnerable adults in care are protected from harm, no matter which institution cared for them. It is also its responsibility to ensure all survivors of abuse in care be provided with sufficient and appropriate redress. Cabinet Ministers are right now considering bids for funding for the Budget 2022. We need to let them know they need to provide for survivors. The millions spent on the inquiry need to result in action. Many of the survivors are ageing, in their 60's, 70's and 80's, and dealing with the physical and mental consequences of their experiences in state care. The impacts from the abuse are significant and lifelong. They cannot wait more years for future offers of support. Justice for survivors will mean redress and the financial compensation, acknowledgement, apology, and the information they deserve and need. It will also include commitment to the scale of change required to ensure what happened to them does not happen to others. Survivors need an independent entity to report to so that they no longer have to engage in the re-traumatising process of reporting to the institution that they could not trust to keep them safe. They are also asking it have the authority to hold institutions that care for children accountable to ensure the abuse they suffered does not happen to others. An independent ‘Entity’ would have the statutory authority to audit and have oversight of the policies and procedures in place in institutions to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm, investigate and hold institutions accountable where they fail, and provide a public audit report to Government with recommendations for further change when required. The government leaving institutions to deal with the abuse of children in their care has failed. Current systems that exist are not fit for purpose and failing to provide what is needed. They are not accessible to all survivors, and are re-traumatising. We need an ‘Entity’ based on the principles of: • Inclusion • Te Tiriti O Waitangi • Accessibility • Impartiality • Transparency • Consistency • Timely access to Redress • Human Rights and Natural Justice The public remains unaware of the significant abuse crisis New Zealand is facing. Survivors are left unacknowledged, struggling, and silenced. Many have no access to redress systems and the barriers to access them are daunting. They need your support.
    97 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Network of survivors of abuse in faith based institutions
  • Rangatira ai te Whare Pāremata
    Rangatira ai te whare pāremata is a social action campaign created by six young rangatahi from Wainuiomata High School. This rōpū was created upon the urge to push for policy change. Our aim is to influence the Sports, Arts, and Culture policy to redistribute the funds fairly. We have chosen to advocate for this kaupapa because we are concerned about the distribution of the government's money and its priorities. One example of this is how the government has excessive vast amounts of money for foreign events (like America’s cup) instead of indigenous ones (like Te Matatini and Matariki). The America’s cup, a rich man's sport, received $149M, whereas Te Matatini which is Māori performing arts only received $1.9M. We believe the New Zealand Government need to re-evaluate their priorities when it comes to funding indigenous needs over international events. With this petition we hope to bring attention to the community matters that our people suffer from on a day-to-day basis. We want to accommodate our people as this affair does not just concern us but all cultural minorities within Aotearoa. We must focus on returning to our roots and strengthening the connections our government has with our communities. Rather than supporting events that do not help the mending the wrongdoings made by colonisation. “I listen to the sound of my ancestor's weep, as our tikanga drowns below Papatūānuku, Reaching out to Aunty Cindy, screeching with my mouth stripped with silence. Tangi te keo wails the words‘ “Whakarongo ki te hotuhotu o ōku mōrehu kuia” Foreigners, the government fishes out their bulk wallets but... will always be at the bottom of the barrel when we are in need. Dust, transparent seems to be what we always receive. Indigenous, an empty word to cover up the imbedded wounds, Te Matatini! Haka Ngāhau! Matariki! Pave the tapuwae for Māori, the tie that holds the pen and paper Past! Present! Future! Our whare tapawhā screams to be coated with truth, Open your eyes and see that the system isn't built for me, Excuses! To see us crumble below their feet, we fight till our words become carved, Māori continue to sail the choppy waters of colonisation. White flags will not be lifted, ka whawhai tōnu mātou. This fight is for justice but with no blood shed.” Keita Moses & Cynthia WiRepa-Kingi
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    Created by Essta Faitele
  • Open Letter to the Hon Chris Hipkins – put Māori health needs first
    We are writing to express our extreme disappointment, concern and outrage at your statement on 06 October 2021 that you are not sure the Government would be stepping away from the Covid19 elimination strategy if the general population had the same vaccination rate as Māori. We believe that you have just confirmed the worst fears of many tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti people that the Crown still regards the Māori population as disposable? The implications of your statement are destructive. Firstly, the history of pandemics in this country has been a history of various forms of discrimination and neglect against Māori communities with the mass graves to prove it. Why would you perpetuate this tradition by making a statement that implies a high-risk community is not worthy of the highest level of consideration, protection and resources? The lower vaccination rates are a call to change monocultural strategies not a call to put them at increased risk when you know what that risk amounts to. Secondly you are failing the Crown obligations to be in an honourable relationship with whānau, hapū, iwi and all Māori organisations. Māori are not a minority group or stakeholder in the struggle against Covid 19. Their rangatiratanga means the Crown has an obligation to negotiate regarding changes to a strategy that has direct and potentially disastrous effects on Māori. Thirdly you are undermining the Māori communities and health professionals fighting so hard to work with you and protect people. The success of the vaccination programme in places like rural Tairāwhiti and Te Whānau Apanui, the generous and effective programmes led by urban Māori groups tell us what works. People have been giving their all to ensure this pandemic does not decimate a population with health issues caused by years of inequity in the health system.
    599 of 600 Signatures
    Created by Heather Came
  • Call for NZCOM to remove transphobic keynote speaker & make conference a safe space for all
    The New Zealand College of Midwives is holding their biennial conference in November of 2021 with the theme “Celebrating Diversity, Growing Stronger Together.” While the theme of this conference is diversity, the college has invited an openly transphobic writer to present as their keynote speaker. This writer and proposed keynote speaker has actively perpetuated harm within rainbow communities, shared hate speech toward gender minorities, and had her connection with large organisations in the UK severed in response to her continued harm towards rainbow communities. These organisations include Birthrights who said the following in response to terminating their connection with her: “Birthrights is very clear that we are an inclusive organisation and are here for everyone who gives birth, regardless of how they identify. We reject any suggestion that respecting pregnant non-binary and trans people diminishes women’s rights. I have also seen other social media comments/replies where you undermine trans and non-binary people and state that people can only be male or female. This is harmful and distressing and in my view not compatible with a rights-based approach to pregnancy and childbirth. I’m afraid that Birthrights isn’t able to work with people who don’t share our inclusive values.” Despite NZCOM's conference theme of diversity, the college of midwives only has one presentation about gender and sexual diversity within pregnancy & birth. The college did not make any effort to reach out to members of the LGBTTQIA+ community within their own workforce, or adjacent workforces, to present their work. To hold a conference with the theme of “Celebrating Diversity,” and to make no effort to engage with the rainbow communities on being visible and safe at their conference is concerning. To have a keynote speaker who actively engages in perpetuating harm against rainbow communities is alarming. This keynote address also jeopardises the safety of any members of the rainbow community wishing to attend the conference. Further information and background on this speaker can be found by reading our open letter here: https://sites.google.com/empwr.nz/no-transphobia-in-midwifery/home The Rainbow Midwives Alliance are calling on the New Zealand College of Midwives to urgently remove Milli Hill as keynote speaker, apologise for the harm this has caused to LGBTTQIA+ communities, engage a local member of the community as keynote speaker, and outline their commitment to doing better going forward.
    2,149 of 3,000 Signatures
    Created by Rainbow Midwives Alliance
  • #BusFair 🚌
    https://vimeo.com/596169867 Public transport is crucial in the fight against climate change, making our cities more liveable and supporting sustainable mobility for vulnerable and low-income communities. However bus drivers, passengers and the environment have been victims of a decades-long experiment in privatisation. The Climate Commission has called for a doubling of public transport use nationwide, however poverty wages are making it impossible for operators to recruit new workers. Cancellations are rife, and further industrial action looms on the horizon. The bus privatisation experiment has failed. In July 2021 FIRST Union’s #BusFair campaign called for the Ministry of Transport to abolish the current tendering model (the “PTOM”), massively increase investment in public transport, and work together with stakeholders to bring our public transport back into public ownership. That’s because three decades of bus privatisation has been disastrous for drivers, passengers, and the environment, shifting wealth from workers’ wages into offshore private equity firms that control our network. The PTOM tendering model put this approach on steroids, rewarding operators with the lowest labour costs. Significant investment is needed to lift workers’ wages, increasing the reach and regularity of our bus network, progressively reducing fares and establishing more bus-only infrastructure. However private ownership is a barrier to addressing these concerns. Support for public ownership is now growing, with Greater Wellington Regional Council and the Green Party supporting, as well as bus drivers and passengers across the country. Tell the Minister of Transport that it’s time to bring #ourpublictransport back into public ownership.
    1,605 of 2,000 Signatures
    Created by FIRST Union .
  • Fix this State Highway 3 Intersection and save lives
    This State Highway Intersection is a historical unresolved community problem for the businesses residents, road users, and emergency services of the district. There have been countless attempts by the local community to engage Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to implement a safe and effective traffic management plan for this intersection. The local businesses witness and are affected by vehicle accidents and near misses at this intersection on a daily basis. Yet Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency have no plans to upgrade this intersection. The current configuration of this intersection is poorly planned, not fit for purpose and is the cause of life-threatening incidents to users every day. Ambulance response times to the community at large are adversely affected by the poor traffic flow through this intersection. If this intersection is not rectified in the foreseeable future lives will (are) being put at unnecessary risk and will ultimately result in a loss of life. The upgrade of this intersection will provide a safe and efficient state highway intersection that will enable effective traffic flow and enhance the safety of all road users. With this petition we are bringing the safety issues of this intersection needs to the immediate attention of the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. Sign today as part of the community calling for urgent action!
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    Created by Sam Bennett Picture
  • Increase the Psychologist Workforce
    **** We delivered the petition on Wednesday 8 September but you are welcome to still add your name to be part of this campaign **** It is not good enough that we keep encouraging people to reach out for help when there is no help available. It is not good enough that the government talks about creating and expanding mental health services whilst failing to invest in growing the workforce. Psychologists are mental health experts who have thorough training in understanding, assessing, and providing treatment for people experiencing a range of psychological difficulties. Notably, psychologists are well equipped to help people experiencing acute mental health difficulties, who are currently being let down by inpatient care. Psychologists’ therapeutic practices are guided by best available local psychological research and theory, and adapted to meet the needs of each client and family. Psychologists also play key roles in training and supervising other health and mental health professionals. In the report of the 2018 New Zealand Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction, He Ara Oranga, it was acknowledged that an immediate priority was to increase the Psychologist Workforce. Despite this, there has been a minimal increase in the number of psychologists being trained. At Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University Wellington, for example, the number of students being trained has increased from 10 to 12, despite there being more than 9 times that many people applying to the course each year and estimates suggest we currently need more than 1000 psychologists to fill the workforce shortage. New Zealand’s mental health crisis has reached a tipping point once again. Private clinical psychologists are turning away up to 60 clients a month, and access to psychologists through the public health system is even more dire. We are calling for a long term commitment to increasing the workforce. The barriers to training more psychologists are currently two-fold. Firstly, at a university level, more upfront investment is required in order to hire new staff and fund associated facilities such as expanding internal training clinics. Secondly, new psychologists require internships, and due to the lack of streamlined funding there are not enough services with capacity to supervise and pay intern psychologists. The wellbeing budget of 2019 led to an increase of 8 additional Ministry of Health funded internships for clinical psychologists, increasing the number from 12 to 20. There are currently around 120 intern psychologists registered across different programmes, meaning that the funding of 8 new internships barely makes a dent in this problem. Unpaid internships are a barrier to equitable workforce participation and the lack of streamlined funding must be fixed in order to develop a workforce which reflects the populations with highest mental health needs. With adequate funding and coordination these barriers can be overcome and more psychologists can be trained and registered. This is just one imperative, and logical step - amongst many needed - in order to address the mental health crisis in Aotearoa New Zealand. I imagine a New Zealand where psychological support and therapy is accessible and equitable. I dream of being part of a workforce where people are able to do their best work to help others in a way that is sustainable. I hope for a day when people can access therapy before they reach crisis point. This cannot happen unless we grow the workforce of psychologists. Add your name to join this call for more psychologists and better mental health care! #growthepsychforce --- About --- My name is Lucy and I am a clinical psychology student coming towards the end of my training. Previously, I worked for years as a telephone crisis counsellor, where I witnessed the reality that people facing severe mental health difficulties and attempting suicide often do not have any access to mental health services or psychologists. I burnt out badly in this role and experienced first-hand the difficulties in accessing a psychologist as a client. I decided to pursue clinical psychology training but feel scared about the current realities of this work and the future of our workforce. Together, with a group of fellow clinical psychology students, we have decided to raise our voices and demand something changes. ---Links--- https://www.newsroom.co.nz/anna-rawhiti-connell-a-problem-ignored-for-far-too-long https://www.newsroom.co.nz/mental-health-units-should-provide-more-than-meds-and-beds https://healthcentral.nz/new-zealand-needs-extra-1000-psychologists-estimates-taskforce/ https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018803716/psychologists-turning-away-clients-due-to-high-demand https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/122695066/new-zealands-psychological-crisis-putting-lives-at-risk https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/125485828/people-in-distress-being-turned-away-from-specialist-mental-health ---Banner image description--- Banner image shows a person with long hair and a beanie looking out along beach. The weather is grey. There is white text on a black background which reads "Increase the Psychologist Workforce: Call on the government for training and internship funding."
    15,604 of 20,000 Signatures
    Created by Lucy McLean
  • Honouring Asylum: Bring Andika Refugees to Aotearoa New Zealand
    Australia's turnback operations are illegal. The New Zealand government has stated this, and that it respects the right to asylum. Therefore, intervention in this case is critical. Offering resettlement to these refugees would make the government’s commitment to its legal obligations clear, and would uphold its reputation as a humanitarian leader.
    253 of 300 Signatures
    Created by Honouring Asylum Picture
  • Power to the people: A right, not a privilege!
    The energy industry is full of solutions for people AFTER they have felt the impacts of power poverty and AFTER they have been disconnected. What is missing is an electricity retailer specifically designed to support vulnerable consumers, that can work with whānau to prevent those things from happening. The only way that this retailer can exist is if Generators, Government and all other players in the industry commit to work together in the Spirit of Manaakitanga. This is what true partnership looks like between tangata whenua and tangata tiriti. Solving this issue is not one that can be done alone - but one in which Māori must be involved in. Let us demonstrate a partnership our Tūpuna (ancestors), Tangata (people) and Tamariki (children) will be proud of. Power companies can switch off electricity for vulnerable whānau who aren't able to pay their power bill and turn others away if they have struggled to pay their bills in the past. With 17% of people saying they had trouble paying their power bill last year (Consumer NZ, 2020), hundreds of thousands of Kiwis are vulnerable to going without sufficient power to meet their needs, not in the future but right now! According to the ICCC report (2019), if the Government’s 100 per cent renewable energy goal is achieved by 2035, the average power costs for households would increase by 14%. And while we stand with the Government’s goal of decarbonising Aotearoa, we want to make sure policy is in place that means no whānau is left behind. If nothing changes, the amount of whānau living in energy hardship will accelerate. We believe money should NOT be a prerequisite to accessing sufficient energy to keep a whānau warm. No one should have the power to deny a parent the ability to feed their tamariki and keep the whare warm and dry. Over the past year, Nau Mai Rā has proven that if whānau are treated like whānau they will pay their bills on time every time, regardless of their credit history. By allowing us the responsibility to take care of power for vulnerable whānau, no New Zealander will be left out in the cold. Let's work together in the spirit of manaakitanga and ensure no whānau is left behind. Your support of this petition could solve power poverty in Aotearoa. Let us look after whānau Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive Ezra Hirawani Te Āti Haunui-a-Paparangi / Ngāti Rangi / Ngāpuhi / Ngāti Hako / Waikato Tainui Ben Armstrong Ngāti Hine / Waikato Tainui Read Stuff's recent article here for more information: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/125262459/many-of-our-energy-assets-are-built-on-mori-land-so-why-do-mori-disproportionately-endure-power-poverty
    4,229 of 5,000 Signatures
    Created by Ezra and Ben
  • Careers in Kapa Haka
    The current issue with recruiting and the retention of qualified and professional kapa haka tutors in schools is a serious concern… Tamariki love kapa haka! The number of students who are participating and passionate about kapa haka is growing all the time! The student's knowledge of Te Reo me ona Tikanga Māori and confidence grow as they learn waiata, haka and other skills. We have seen improvements in the attendance and engagement of many students through a good quality kapa haka group. But finding the right people to fulfil that teaching role is a major and ongoing struggle. The Problem for Kura... As a national education priority (NEG 9 and NEG 10), the ability to find affordable, suitable and committed tutors shouldn't be so difficult. Schools are scrambling around every year to find professional tutors. On more than one occasion we have had people commit to tutoring our groups and then pull out in week one, term one! The anxiety this induces when you have up to 140 kids sitting in a hall ready to learn kapa haka is intense! The solution to this has been employing independent professional tutors. However, they are expensive, especially for smaller schools. Furthermore, the pull between priority curriculum areas and funding Māori performing arts is difficult for principals and boards of trustees. Funding is often prioritised to literacy and numeracy, science and technology, PE and LEOTC (NEG 5). The responsibility for funding Māori Performing Arts is a choice that should not be on the heads of individual principals and boards. As we are bound by Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Article Two), to protect this taonga and this should be done at a national level. Tutors are hard to find and relying on whānau to do the teaching of kapa haka is neither a respectful nor a sustainable option. Once you do find a volunteer (or someone who does the job for koha) the retention of tutors is difficult, life circumstances change for volunteers, more financially viable opportunities come up, new educational opportunities arise and family commitments, at times, take precedent. Many tutors cannot commit (for free) long-term to a school program. The problem for professional tutors... To run a free-market-style business funded by schools can be difficult for kapa haka experts. Particularly in relation to supporting families and maintaining a start-up business model or in the long term. Tutors can only charge what schools can afford and need to do all the mahi of running a business, understanding finances and organsing amongst many schools. They, therefore, need to have a certain amount of energy, confidence, and know-how to take these risks to manage this effectively. This is not an easy model for many people to set-up and run long term. As stated previously, schools are left to rely on whānau who volunteer or are given koha. This often puts pressure on whānau who have their own work and family commitments. It is not respectful to ask for so much for free, in a world where money is the formal acknowledgment of value. This feels disrespectful and is disheartening, to say the least for those who are asked to give so much for so little. On top of that, some tutors may not have the teaching skills required and it can be a daunting task for a whanau member (or two) to tutor a large group of children. There is usually little or no teaching training for these people and it can be seriously challenging for them. In summary, there are few or no professional and secure career pathways for people skilled in kapa haka. We need to create a system where people can achieve success in a Māori world and then have that honored with financial stability and security in the wider community. In short, the current system is not respectful of Māori mahi or the enormous value and importance placed on kapa haka by our tamariki. The schools are doing the best they can to fill this gap, but it shouldn't be this difficult to honour our commitments to Te Reo me Ona Tikanga Māori, me, Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We are calling that the taonga of kapa haka is protected through supported career pathways, that our tamariki have no obstacles to participation and that the Government and Iwi in partnership have a discussion and make a plan to implement structures for a long term tautoko of kapa haka. So join us to fight for paid professional kapa haka tutors in every school!
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    Created by Anna-Marie Stewart
  • Update the Hamilton City Emblem!
    The current emblem was introduced in 1946 and represents the colonial history of our city as a settler military post in the 19th century. It does not align with the Treaty of Waitangi and Maaori representation in our current emblem is non-existent. Our emblem does not depict any partnerships and the crown is the main overpowering feature in the emblem. It does not hold any in-depth cultural, metaphorical or traditional meanings and is an emblem that was introduced almost 100 years ago!!! Kirikiriroa means 'long strip of cultivated land' and it represents the abundance of people who shared, took care, and lived off the land before colonisation. Gradually, like our city name or street names around our city Hamilton was overpowered by European settlers who made Kirikiriroa their own. Updating our city emblem and discussing it's relevance is important because it currently represents and supports years of our city’s colonial, traumatic history where indigenous people had land taken, were oppressed, and even murdered. Some people might think something small like an emblem doesn't matter, but the history and significance behind something so small has been the meaning of life or death for many. Today, Hamilton is the youngest city in New Zealand and one of the most multicultural cities with more than 160 ethnicities. We are a vibrant young & developing city and we need an emblem that reflects this! We want an emblem that we are proud of. We want an emblem that we understand and can relate to. We want an emblem that represents maaori, our city, and our diverse multicultural population. We want our city emblem to represent 'Kirikiriroa'. We want to have an emblem that we can share with pride! Sign to call on our Council to update City Emblem! To be able to present the petition the Council requires over 150 signatures with postal addresses, to show signatories are residents. Your address will be supplied to Council but not be made public.
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    Created by Jahvaya Wheki