Political leaders set an example for society, including young people. How they campaign shapes what we see as acceptable in public life. We’re calling for political parties and candidates to uphold honesty, respect, transparency and integrity, and to campaign in ways that strengthen rather than undermine our democracy. 

AI is being pushed upon us at break-neck speed, not only as an attractive option but also unchosen and without our consent. AI has a heavy environmental cost and is derived through the exploitation of physical and intellectual resources that society has not agreed should be used in this way. When an AI Overview is automatically generated by our search, albeit without our having requested it, we are made to be complicit in this technology. For these reasons, we believe that automated AI functions are unethical and should be removed. People should have to choose AI every time they want it, thus encouraging more awareness and personal accountability in digital activity and reigning in the wasteful blanket approach that is currently in place. The AI Overview An AI overview uses ten times as much energy as a traditional search. [1] With many millions of searches made per day in New Zealand, it certainly makes a difference in terms of energy consumption, whether it is a traditional or an AI search that takes place.  The AI overview was put into action as an automatic add-on without asking permission of users and there is no easy way to turn it off. This contributes to the normalisation and forced adoption of AI and the knock-on effect of justifying the ‘need’ for data centres. Environmental harm Data centres are required to store data and process searches.[3] Data centres are proliferating rapidly worldwide fuelled by the needs of the AI explosion. There are already in the range of 10,000 data centres around the world.[4] The new data centre consented for New Zealand’s deep south alone will cost NZ$3.5 billion.[5] Who is this actually benefitting? Data centres destroy environments, use enormous amounts of power and water, contribute negatively to the climate crisis and are generally not wanted by the communities in which they are built.[6] The AI overview is wasteful of resources so although it appears to be “free,” in fact, “someone pays” —  and it is the environment and the people living in areas around data centres, as well as anyone who pays a power bill, as the demand for resources is expected to raise the price of power [7]. The AI overview is made to be effortless on the part of the consumer, adding to the creation of a habit and a dependency, and the illusion that it has no cost. Theft of intellectual and artistic property AI capacity is made possible through theft of intellectual and artistic property as the thinkers, writers, scientists and artists of the world who created the content and discoveries that AI is trained on were not asked for permission [8], just as we were not asked if we wanted to use this “service.” By unintentionally initiating the process, we are made to be complicit against our will. We are added to the statistic of AI users that contributes to the impression of acceptance and uptake of the technology by the population and, once again, to the justification of the growing need for data centres. Misinformation  Needless to say, the AI Overview is not always correct but will frequently be taken at face value putting people at risk of harm from false and misleading information. Health professionals are just one of many groups who have expressed concern over misinformation provided by the AI Overview, and have cited numerous examples that could lead to serious health consequences. [9] This is why we are calling on our representatives to create frameworks and policies that will protect our right to choose our impact as individuals and consumers, and protect our communities and our environment. The AI Overview should be an option not a must.  Sign the petition and share it with your friends and family. References  1. Google AI Search Uses 10x More Energy Than Standard Searches | Sustainability Magazine   2. Explainer: What is a data centre and why is everyone freaking out now? | RNZ   3. Datacentres are a ticking timebomb. We must make sure AI’s benefits outweigh the costs | Nicki Hutley | The Guardian   4. ‘A lot of red flags’: plans for New Zealand’s first AI datacentre spark concern as locals demand greater transparency  5. Under a cloud: the growing resentment against the massive datacentres sprouting across Australian cities | Computing | The Guardian  6. Under a cloud: the growing resentment against the massive datacentres sprouting across Australian cities | Computing | The Guardian  7. AI data centres are booming in Australia - but at what cost? 8. AI, Copyright, and the Law: The Ongoing Battle Over Intellectual Property Rights  9. Google AI Overviews put people at risk of harm with misleading health advice

Local Representation and Voice:  South Wairarapa comprises distinct rural, small-town and coastal communities. Absorption into a Wellington-centric council will dilute local governance, reducing our rural voice to a tiny minority against urban Wellington, Hutt Valley and Porirua interests. Community Preference: Independent surveying across the valley demonstrates overwhelming public backing  (over 76%) for a single Wairarapa unitary authority combining Carterton, Masterton and South Wairarapa, compared to negligible support for a Greater Wellington model. Rating and Financial Autonomy: Rates generated in the Wairarapa to fund local infrastructure, roads, drainage and rural services rather than subsidising large-scale infrastructure over the Remutakas. Geographic and Economic Cohesion: Our catchment management, primary production, roading networks and community identity are tied directly to our Wairarapa neighbours in Carterton and Masterton- not metropolitan Wellington.

This is important because climate change is the most serious and important issue facing humankind. We have a rapidly closing window of opportunity to prevent catastrophic damage to the natural world and all human populations. The National Party / ACT / NZ First coalition government has already removed all previously useful emissions reduction laws and policies, leaving us only with the failed ETS scheme. This type of failure is not an option if we are to prevent the extreme weather events we are beginning to experience from escalating in both speed and scale.

We’re food producing champions. We should be able to feed our people. Too many children go to school hungry. Too many people are skipping meals because the money runs out before the week does. Too many of us are making tough choices between nutritious food, rent, power, health care, fuel and other essentials. As a nation, we’ve never been short of ingenuity when something needs fixing. Our food system needs redesigning, and we all need to work together to find the solutions. We need a commitment to a long term plan to deal with the underlying causes of food insecurity, rather than just muddling along with an increasing amount of hungry families needing foodbanks. We are everyday people: iwi, hapū, whānau members, mums and dads, aunties and uncles, farmers, fishers and food producers, health workers, community groups, educators, businesses, organisations, and eaters. No matter who we are or where we are from, we all agree food is not getting the serious political attention it deserves, and that needs to change. We can do better. We are calling on all political parties to make a genuine commitment to a food system that works for everyone. We want to see this commitment before the election so we can support those with the best solutions. Specifically, we want to see: A long-term plan. Affordable, healthy kai for everyone. Farming and food that looks after animals, the land and the ocean. A fair go for local producers, manufacturers and food businesses. Good food environments for our tamariki / children. A food system grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Communities having a decision-making role in their kai / food system. Celebration and protection of our food cultures. We believe Aotearoa New Zealand can become a place where everyone has access to good food, where local kai systems thrive, food producers are valued, communities are resourced and exports are a vital part of our economy. We’re not asking political parties to agree on everything but access to kai is fundamental. By signing this pledge to vote for kai you are sending a message to political parties across the spectrum that you expect to see robust policies that will strengthen our food systems. We will update everyone who signs this pledge about what commitments each political party makes in relation to our demands. 

Disabled people and their carers already face huge barriers just to live, work and care. This bill sets a dangerous precedent and strips away legal rights that other New Zealanders still have. It cancels existing court cases, shuts down claims that were filed properly and on time, and stops disabled people and their families from asking the courts to decide if they have been underpaid for years of essential care work. The bill will also prevent the Human Rights Commission and the Health and Disability Commissioner from taking action against the government for unlawful discrimination against people with disabilities and their whānau.  No other group of workers is being targeted and exploited in this way. If any other employer tried to pass a law that said “you can’t take us to court any more, and your current cases are wiped”, people would be outraged. Yet that is what this bill does to disabled people and their families, while politicians claim it 'changes nothing'. This is about whether disabled people and their carers are treated as equal under the law. We should not accept a two‑tier system where some people can still enforce their rights in court, while disabled people and their families are told their rights can be taken away by a fast‑tracked bill.  Disabled communities and their whānau are already facing unfair circumstances and enormous strains. Now, more than ever, we need your support to stop this government from weaponising our needs and making us feel less valued in society.  Make sure to sign up for further updates when you sign the petition so we can let you know the details of the select committee process. 

The BSA is the only real protection New Zealand has against the broadcasting of lies, abuse or misinformation. Since 1989, it has done an excellent job supporting our television and radio broadcasters to be responsible by providing an avenue for complaints from the public. The BSA upholds standards which all broadcasters must meet. These cover: • offensive and disturbing content,  • the interests of children,  • promotion of illegal or antisocial behaviour,  • discrimination and denigration,  • balance,  • accuracy,  • privacy, and   • fairness. Without these standards, New Zealand’s media cannot claim to be responsible and trustworthy. A different organisation called the Media Council regulates print and online media but it has no teeth. It can't force media organisations to be responsible if they go rogue. Moreover, if media like the Platform and Reality Check Radio don't join the Media Council (which they haven't), they're not within its jurisdiction and can be as irresponsible as they wish.  For years, many observers have been calling on the government to increase the BSA’s scope to include online media.  Instead, the government proposes to scrap the BSA and increase the Media Council to include radio and television. As a result standards will slide and NZ will drift inexorably towards a media system like we see currently in the US.

Dear Minister Simeon Brown We write to you as transgender and takatāpui young people of Aotearoa New Zealand to ask you to reconsider your decision to ban the use of puberty blockers (gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues) by transgender young people.   To be transgender or takatāpui is a taonga. To deny our young people access to life-saving medication on the basis of an imported culture war is cruel and abhorrent. Trans young people are some of our most at-risk youth. Not because of who they are, but because of how our society treats them for something they have no control over.    Denying our rangatahi an effective medication that gives them the time to discover who they are is needlessly cruel. According to Counting Ourselves 2022, 77% of trans people experience high or very high psychological distress, compared to just 12% of the general population. When compared to the fact that 95% of trans youth have a positive impact on their mental health from the use of puberty blockers, how could such a vital medical intervention be ignored?     This decision is an infringement on human rights and medical autonomy, as stated by Te Kāhui Tika Tangata The Human Rights Commission. Denying access to essential healthcare for trans and takatāpui youth is going to cause unnecessary harm and distress to not just young people but to their whanau as well. The fact that it is only our gender diverse youth that are denied this care, and not the general population, is clear discrimination designed to target our most vulnerable.   We urge you to reconsider your decision and put our young people’s health ahead of politics. Sincerely Lauren Craig & Ngahuru Autumn Brown

Aotearoa should be a place where people are encouraged and supported by their government to engage in democratic processes. Where usage of plain language in documents is encouraged, and people have the ability to understand their rights within seconds no matter where they come from or what their background is.  Right now our government has chosen to treat accessible language differently to other equitable measures by excluding Plain Language from their budget.  Although plain language is a less tangible concept, the importance of it to people across Aotearoa is no less vital than having wheelchair ramps in public buildings, or sign language interpreters during emergency broadcasts. Simple, easy to read language helps our more vulnerable groups in Aotearoa to receive fair treatment in all sectors of government.  Over 1.3 million adult New Zealanders have low literacy/numeracy skills, with Māori and Pacific peoples significantly overrepresented in this group. This leads to higher barriers in employment, health, income, and civic engagement for these communities[1].  Furthermore, up to 10% of New Zealanders have communication issues, including difficulties that directly affect reading, writing, or understanding official information. There are also more than 11,530 children with swallowing difficulties, 95,000 people with autism, and 60,000 children with auditory processing disorder, all conditions that can impact effective engagement with complex or non-plain language content[2].   Plain language is also a vital tool for older generations, many of whom are navigating digital systems and filling out important forms independently, often without someone to assist them. Keeping Plain Language requirements in legislation means everyone is considered when the government publishes information.  By taking it away, the government is forgetting why it was put into place: to keep all of us in the loop.  No one should have to spend hours filling out and decoding benefit forms, immigration forms, justice information, or health information. The budget we pay for should work for us, too.  Now is the time for us to take action that will protect our most marginalised brothers and sisters. Action that allows for everyone to be part of the conversation, and puts equitable care at the heart of our government's services.  References: 1. An Empirical Portrait of New Zealand Adults Living With Low Literacy and Numeracy Skills. AUT NZ Pathways Research Institute. 2022: https://nzpri.aut.ac.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/522827/An-empirical-portrait-of-New-Zealand-adults-living-with-low-literacy-and-numeracy-skills_report.pdf 2. Communication and Swallowing Disabilities in New Zealand: Data Fact Sheet 2023. Speech-language Therapists New Zealand. 2023: https://speechtherapy.org.nz/assets/Uploads/SLT-Business-Case-2024/Communication-and-Swallowing-Disabilities-in-New-Zealand-Data-Fact-Sheet.pdf?vid=4

Most people in Aotearoa, no matter our background, income or postcode, value fairness and freedom. The freedom to have a say in decisions that impact our lives — from making housing more affordable, to creating jobs to making health care decent. We want everyone to have the freedom to vote as we know for our democracy to work for all of us, it must include all of us. We are proud to have been the first democracy where women could vote. But right now, the Government is pushing through changes to the Electoral Act that will make it harder for many people to vote—especially those already underrepresented in our political system. These proposed changes include: • Scrapping same-day enrolment and voting on Election Day, a clearly effective measure for increasing turnout - used by over 80,000 people in the last election. • Requiring strict forms of ID to vote, which puts unnecessary and expensive barriers up particularly for those on low incomes or experiencing homelessness. • Shortening the voter enrollment deadline by a full week, which will target people with busy lives or housing instability. • Banning all incarcerated people from enrolling and voting in our general election. • Banning the distribution of free food and drinks near polling places, which has long been a simple, welcoming way to support voter turnout, and has the potential to impact marae specifically.  Even the Government’s own Attorney-General Judith Collins has warned these changes breach the Bill of Rights and risk silencing tens of thousands of voters. She found that the reforms would likely be inconsistent with the right to vote and lacked sufficient justification[1]. At the same time, the Prime Minister has publicly admitted he does not know the details of his own government’s proposals[2]. This is unacceptable when our fundamental democratic rights are on the line. Voters pick our leaders -- leaders do not get to pick and choose their voters. Let’s be clear: this is voter suppression—and it mirrors what far-right governments around the world are doing to consolidate power by discouraging democratic participation. During their term, this Government has routinely bypassed democratic processes. In just its first 17 weeks, it passed 14 laws under urgency—without full public consultation or proper scrutiny. That’s more than many previous governments managed across an entire term[3]. If we let these electoral law changes go ahead, we risk silencing over a hundred thousand voters[4] at the next election —and setting a dangerous precedent. We call on the Government to immediately: • Stop all changes that limit or restrict the ability of people to enrol or vote. • Retain same-day enrolment and voting on Election Day. • Reject strict voter ID laws that disproportionately impact Māori, young people, disabled voters, and others and will suppress voter turnout. • Allow food and drink near polling places as a basic gesture of hospitality, tikanga Māori and community support. • Commit to transparent, robust public consultation before any electoral law changes are made. • Explore and commit to removing other barriers currently preventing people from voting. For our democracy to work for all of us, it must include all of us. We need our leaders to be removing barriers stopping people voting, not creating new ones. References: 1. Attorney-General rules her own govt’s voting crackdown breaches human rights — Newsroom, 28 July 2025 2. Christopher Luxon defends voting changes after Judith Collins raises problems — RNZ, 27 July 2025 3. Urgency under scrutiny as pay equity changes rushed through — 1News, 11 May 2025 4. New Zealand attorney general warns her government’s electoral reform could breach human rights law — The Guardian, 28 July 2025

As a coalition of health organisations and advocacy groups, we are calling on the Prime Minister Luxon: strip the tobacco and vaping portfolio from New Zealand First. It's the responsibility of leaders in government to make informed decisions that have long-term benefits for the future of the country and the health of its people. They should use the best knowledge, information and expertise available to guide their decisions to ensure all people and communities can thrive. That is not happening right now.   Keeping the tobacco industry away from influencing Government decisions and actions is crucial to protecting people’s health and wellbeing.   Our Government appear not to be prioritising saving lives and protecting people from harmful industries who have caused so much death and destruction in their pursuit of profits. If action isn’t taken now, more decisions will continue to be made behind closed doors that are influenced by the tobacco and vape industry which benefits their interests.   The health of people across Aotearoa is under threat if the PM doesn’t take some action to change how health decisions are being made and who is responsible for that decision making. We are calling for PM Christopher Luxon to take a strong stance and protect the health of all people in Aotearoa. Sign this petition to show your support! References: [1] Alleged ties between NZ First and vaping companies a 'dangerous risk' to New Zealanders, anti-vape group warns | RNZ News 

No matter who we are, or where we come from, people across Aotearoa deserve somewhere safe and dignified to call home. As house prices sky rocket, Aotearoa is plunged deeper into the housing crisis created by this Government, Kāinga Ora have rolled back their commitment to deliver social housing in Rangitata.[1] These homes are desperately needed for our most vulnerable citizens - more and more of whom are forced into rough sleeping as they're priced out of the private rental market and emergency housing options are stripped away. Our construction sector also needs the work it will bring in; over the past year we've lost close to a thousand local jobs with the closing of Alliance Smithfield and the loss of the Antarctica contract as examples, and the recession making times rougher across the board for everyone. We’re calling on you as our representative to ensure Kāinga Ora stays true to their commitment to the Grey Road/Arthur Street development, and to show up for your constituents when it matters not just at campaign time. References: [1] Kāinga Ora cans hundreds of social housing building projects after review, takes up to $180m hit - NZ Herald