This is an equity issue The fuel crisis does not impact all New Zealanders equally. Low-income families are the least able to absorb rising transport costs. The Spinoff has reported that the Government’s own fuel relief package leaves out half of the children living in material hardship. Both urban and rural families face similar challenges - being able to afford to get their kids to school.  “She said attendance was already dropping at some schools, with parents unable to afford to drive children to class. ‘The impact of the fuel disruption on schools is much broader and more complex than attendance figures suggest; however, attendance will absolutely be affected and is already showing signs of pressure in our communities.’” - Lysandra Stuart, New Zealand Principals’ Federation, 25 March 2026 (NZ Herald). University students, especially those in their first year of independence, are similarly challenged. Many have no car and rely entirely on public transport to reach their campuses. A sudden fare increase is not just an inconvenience to them, it is a barrier to their education and their future.  New Zealand has long held the view that education is a right not a privilege. That principle is meaningless if young people cannot afford to get to where their education takes place.  A compounded crisis for rural communities The fuel crisis is hitting both urban and rural families hard. Rural children and young people have no public transport alternatives, they often live far from school, and over the past two years, the Government has systematically cancelled the school bus routes they depend upon. The current fuel crisis has exacerbated these challenges.  The scale of the challenge is significant. The Ministry of Education reviewed 290 school bus routes in 2024, cancelling or amending 39 of them. By September 2025, a total of 66 rural routes were cancelled. Some of these impacted communities included Te Pōhue, Eskview, Clive, Central Hawke’s Bay, Northland, Gisborne and Manawātū. In Gisborne alone, more than 100 students faced losing their transport to school. These cancellations did not happen because the routes were unnecessary, it was because the Government’s eligibility threshold of eight students per route failed to reflect the realities of small, dispersed rural communities.  “In some areas, these cuts are proving absolutely devastating for the communities, it means some people are seriously considering selling their properties and moving closer to town or into town so their children can access education. In rural areas, there’s no public transport options, there’s no footpaths or cycleways, our roads are not safe for kids to be biking to school. There’s a whole raft of issues, and not all parents in rural communities are self-employed. They can’t take an hour off in the morning or change around their day to take kids to school.” - Gill Naylor, Rural Women New Zealand President, 15 October 2024 (NZ Herald/RNZ).  We, the undersigned, are not only calling for free fares on existing urban public transport networks but for a broader commitment to rural school transport. This includes the restoration of cancelled bus routes, an urgent review of the eligibility criteria, and guaranteed funding for school bus services. Ensuring no child or young person in Aotearoa loses access to education regardless of their circumstances or where they live. Full letter can be read here from 12pm Monday 6 April 2026

Every whānau in Kāpiti should have a decent and stable home – one that is warm, dry, accessible, affordable, and secure. A home that allows people in our communities to stay healthy, keep children in school, contribute to our community, and plan for the future. Decent homes should not be a luxury or a market reward. They are essential infrastructure for care, connection, and contribution. Housing changes lives. But right now, Kāpiti is facing a severe and growing housing crisis, with Ōtaki experiencing the highest housing stress in the district.  Private rentals are unaffordable and unavailable in our community. Only 20% of Ōtaki renter households are able to afford the median market rent[1] and there are so few available at a price people can afford. Public and community housing supply is far too low, making up only a small percentage of our housing stock[2]. People experiencing homelessness are increasingly invisible, living in cars, garages, overcrowded homes, boarding houses, or temporary accommodation.  There are around 129 Kāpiti households on the housing register but there are many more whānau experiencing housing stress. Reductions in emergency housing numbers have not translated into permanent, secure homes. Instead we are seeing preventable harm from a lack of secure and genuinely affordable housing: poorer health, disrupted education, economic stress, and fractured communities. Despite the housing crisis deepening in our community, the National-led Government has cancelled new Kāinga Ora homes in Ōtaki and continues to under-resource hapū, iwi and Māori-led housing solutions.  It doesn’t have to be like this.  The Government can make the choice to increase funding for more public housing, support hapū and iwi housing, and reshape our housing system to be for living and not for profit. We call on all political parties to commit to: • Build enough public housing in Kāpiti — starting with Ōtaki: this includes resuming and completing cancelled or stalled Kāinga Ora developments. Then, committing to building at a scale that meets existing and projected needs, not just incremental growth. Kāpiti needs 129 homes to house the whānau on the housing register immediately. • Support community and iwi-led housing solutions: Partner with Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki to support papakāinga and Kaupapa Māori housing. Recognise community housing as an important part of the public housing system, not a silver bullet or stop-gap. • Treat decent homes as essential infrastructure: recognise housing as foundational to health, education, and employment outcomes. Make sure homes are warm, dry, accessible and meet people’s needs across their lifetimes. • Commit to long-term, cross-party solutions: support durable, bipartisan approaches to public housing so progress is not undone by political cycles, providing certainty to councils, iwi, and CHPs (Community Housing Providers) so they can plan and build with confidence. When people have decent homes, communities thrive. It means people are healthier, children learn better, whānau are more connected and economically secure, and our collective pool of resources shift from crisis response to crisis prevention. We already have the knowledge, skills, and partnerships to fix this. What is missing is political commitment at the scale required.  About us Our Ōtaki Public Housing Group has come together from a shared concern for the lack of public housing for people in our area. We believe this is a key election issue and want to raise public awareness and political commitment for more public housing. Our vision is "All whānau have decent housing because housing is a right and housing changes lives". We bring locally specific information and attention to Action Station's Public Housing Futures national campaign. Contact us via [email protected] References: 1. Not just a house, a life - Understanding housing need specific to Ōtaki, The Urban Advisory, September 2022  2. Our housing stock is approximately 220 Kāinga Ora homes (88 in Ōtaki), 50 from community housing providers, alongside 118 council units for older people (66 in Ōtaki) (see MHud Housing Dashboard).

Right now, our community is already enduring worsening air quality, and the Council is currently operating under an abatement notice for their ongoing failures at the plant. ​Instead of focusing 100% of their resources on fixing the root cause of the odour, the Council is spending millions of ratepayer dollars to investigate dumping partially treated wastewater directly into our ocean outfall. This is being looked at as a "Diversion Option" under their Pond Resilience Project.  ​We need to stop this for three main reasons: ​Trading One Crisis for Another: We cannot allow the Council to trade a devastating air quality crisis for a marine environmental disaster in Pegasus Bay. Pumping partially treated wastewater into our ocean is not a solution; it is a dangerous band-aid. ​Wasting Millions of Dollars: It is completely irresponsible to spend millions of dollars just to investigate a backup plan that the community vehemently opposes. That money needs to be spent on actual, permanent fixes at the plant itself. ​Enough is Enough for the East: The residents of Bromley and the surrounding areas have endured enough disruption and environmental stress. We are united in saying no to this outfall diversion, and we refuse to let this happen in our city. ​We need to send a loud, undeniable message to the Council before they vote on the Pond Resilience Project on April 1st. Sign this petition to demand they take the ocean outfall investigation off the table permanently and focus entirely on fixing the plant.   References [1] Christchurch City Council, "CWTP Odour Proposed Pond By-pass" briefing document, outlining the proposed secondary treatment bypass (Page 1). Available at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mydPWu6wWuGTF9NwmzmSj3EdTriFQxOm/view?usp=drivesdk  

Being ready to change the Government is about taking simple action that will count on November 7th. A new law means people will no longer be able to register to vote during the voting period. Last election 450,000 people registered to vote during the voting period - many of them Māori, Pacific communities and young people. You, your friends and loved ones need to register before October 25th to be able to vote from October 26th to November 7th.  Every time you sign and share this petition, you send a signal to the Government, and your friends and networks get a critical memo on registering to vote in time. The last few years have told us, when push comes to shove we turn up for each other and stand up to be counted. It’s time to do it again. Authorised by K Hartendorp, PO Box 19069, Wellington 6149

The Iranian community has been following the news coming out of Iran with anxiety, dread and fear for our families and loved ones. Iranians have suffered immensely in recent years, whether as a result of dictatorship and oppression or now due to conflict and war[1,2,3]. The experience of watching atrocities, whether crimes against humanity committed by the Iranian Government or war crimes now taking place in Iran and harming Iranian civilians, have been traumatic and deeply troubling to Iranian New Zealanders. In this context, Iranian New Zealanders are desperately seeking ways to support their loved ones, uphold their right to life and support their safety in any way that they can. The ability to sponsor loved ones would make a meaningful difference to the well-being of Iranians living in New Zealand, and provide a lifeline to those caught up in violence. The New Zealand Government has demonstrated its capability in addressing urgent humanitarian crises in the response to the war in Ukraine and through establishing a special visa category[4]. The Iranian community seeks a similar opportunity to aid their loved ones, and is ready, willing and able to commit to any formal undertaking necessary, agreeing to be responsible for their maintenance, accommodation and other relevant costs. In addition, Iranians have faced deep hardship as parents wait years in the Parent Resident Visa ballot while conditions in Iran grow more dangerous and unstable. Elderly parents lack safety and support, and long delays cause serious emotional and mental strain. We also urgently seek prioritisation for Iranian parents currently awaiting confirmation of the status of their Resident Visa applications.  Lastly, we are also seeking blanket automatic extensions for Iranians currently in New Zealand on temporary visas, as returning to Iran under these conditions places these Iranians in great danger. Call to Action: If you would like to help, please sign and share this petition with your friends and family, together we can make sure that the government supports our community and families can be reunited. References: [1]https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2026/01/what-happened-at-the-protests-in-iran/  [2] https://www.amnesty.org/en/petition/end-protest-massacres-in-iran/  [3] https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/03/urgent-call-to-protect-civilians-and-respect-international-law-amid-escalating-regional-conflict-following-us-and-israeli-attacks-on-iran/  [4] https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/special-ukraine-visa/ 

The importance of effective violence prevention cannot be overstated: for example, around a third of women in Aotearoa NZ have experienced sexual violence [8] and many more experience non-sexual relationship violence. We need to use all the tools we can to change such entrenched violence.  Thank you for signing and sharing this petition with friends and whānau, in solidarity with all rangatahi, women and targeted groups. Together, we can hold politicians accountable and ensure our young people receive the respect and care they need to flourish.    References [1] 2020 Relationships & Sexuality Education guidelines, Years 1-8: https://insideout.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/RSE_1_to_8_2.pdf  Years 9-13: https://insideout.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/RSE_9_to_13_2.pdf  [2] Consultation on Proposed Health & PE Curriculum including Relationships & Sex Education, closes 24 April 2026. https://newzealandcurriculum.tahurangi.education.govt.nz/new-zealand-curriculum-online/new-zealand-curriculum/learning-areas/health-and-physical-education-curriculum/5637165585.c  Everyone - students, parents, teachers, members of the community - can make their own submission. See Auckland Women’s Centre submission guide here: https://awc.org.nz/2026-rse-submission-guide/ [3] For example, 24 organisations and experts sent an open letter to Minister Stanford in May 2025, criticising the exclusion of gender diversity. https://sexualwellbeing.org.nz/consortium-of-informed-voices-sends-open-letter-on-relationships-and-sexuality-education-to-minister-stanford/ To our knowledge, the Minister has never engaged with the signatories regarding their concerns. Auckland Women’s Centre (and other organisations) have also written to the Minister, and already given feedback on an earlier draft – Auckland Women’s Centre’s submission here: https://awc.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AWC-to-Minister-Stanford-re-RSE-framework-.pdf The feedback report on the first round of consultation (May 2025) is here:  https://files-au-prod.cms.commerce.dynamics.com/cms/api/qwxsnqcpfm/binary/MLeDUE   [4] Submission re RSE, May 2025, from AP Jade Le Grice, Morgan Tupaea, and Fern Smith, researchers at Te Pūtahi o Pūtaiao | Centre for Kaupapa Māori Science, University of Auckland  [5] Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa media release on the government’s second draft RSE October 2025 https://sexualwellbeing.org.nz/new-curriculum-regressive-and-fractured/ [6] Backbone Collective May 2025 submission https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57d898ef8419c2ef50f63405/t/685874c7e0c5475c87cbe718/1750627527977/RSE+draft+framework+questionnaire+and+letter+to+Minister+of+Education+Erica+Stanford+9+May+Backbone+Collective+%281%29.pdf [7] Education Review Office (2024) Technical report: Review of relationships and sexuality education:.https://www.evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/technical-report-review-of-relationships-and-sexuality-education [8] NZ Crimes & Victims Survey 2019, https://www.justice.govt.nz/assets/NZCVS-findings-core-report-2018-fin-v1.3-for-release.pdf p82 [9] For example, see Le Grice, J., & Braun, V. (2018). Indigenous (Māori) sexual health psychologies in New Zealand: Delivering culturally congruent sexuality education. Journal of Health Psychology, 23(2), 175-187; Tupaea, M., & Le Grice, J. (2024). Mana Tamaiti: Un/binding gender, sexuality and reproductive autonomy with Mātauranga Māori and intergenerational dialogue. In Gender Un/Bound (pp. 241-255). Routledge.  [10] Hohou te Rongo Kahukura submission on RSE, May 2025.  [11] AWC op ed “Why Women Need to Stand Up for Trans Rights” https://awc.org.nz/why-women-need-to-stand-up-for-trans-rights/ 

Over the last couple of years, the Christchurch Methodist Mission has become increasingly aware of the number of older people in housing distress. We are seeing this in the growing waiting list for our affordable and social housing at Wesley Village, and in the number of older people requiring emergency housing in both Christchurch and Blenheim. Our homelessness outreach team are also observing an increasing number of older people sleeping rough.   By 2050, nearly 400,000 retirees are expected to be renting, with many relying on NZ Super as their sole or primary source of income. However, NZ Super was not designed to sustain people in the private rental market. Already, many older renters are spending more than half their Super on rent alone. Older people have a fundamental right to affordable, accessible, and healthy housing. Yet, figures from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development show that New Zealand is not building enough homes to meet this growing demand. Without urgent Government investment in older persons’ housing, this situation will continue to deteriorate.  We need homes to be built that are: • Affordable • Accessible  • Warm and healthy • Designed to foster cultural connection • Embedded in local communities.  We know the difference that living in such a home makes to physical and mental wellbeing. Health costs are reduced, and people can stay in their homes longer before entering care. Thus, quality, age-friendly homes are a good investment from both a social and economic viewpoint.   The current challenge of older persons’ housing is urgent. Without meaningful intervention, we are headed towards a full-blown crisis. Now is the time to act with foresight, compassion, and courage. Please click the link below to sign our petition and share it within your networks: https://petitions.parliament.nz/7e886066-455b-4ab6-be96-08ddec0a4a41?lang=en

Washington has moved to cut off Cuba’s access to imported oil and other energy resources, leading to increased blackouts andshortages of basic human necessities. “There will be no more oil or money going to Cuba - Zero!” US president Trump announced on January 11.  This callous approach is in line with decades of US hostility, including a 65-year economic embargo that has caused immense harm and has been repeatedly and overwhelmingly condemned in votes at the United Nations General Assembly. It threatens starvation, a policy which the 1998 Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court, classified as a war crime. New Zealand has signed and ratified the Rome Statute. Cuba’s overthrow of a US-backed dictatorship in 1959 has earned it the ire of thirteen US presidents. But Cuba is no threat to the United States. Like all sovereign nations, it has the right to determine its own political, economic and social system, free from external interference and threats.Declaring Cuba’s readiness for talks with Washington, Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel described as “reprehensible…such an aggressive and criminal policy towards a small nation.” He asked, “What does it mean to not allow a drop of fuel to reach a country?” We recognise that any attack against Cuba is a flagrant violation of international law, the UN Charter and would undermine regional peace and stability. As a small nation New Zealand has every interest in supporting the UN Charter, which recognizes the sovereign equality of all nations and protects their independence against large countries who threaten them. You too can sign the Call for Peace and Sovereignty and say no to war and intervention. Open letter distributed by Cuba Friendship Society, [email protected] Contact Matt Robson, [email protected] Make a donation towards urgent humanitarian aid for Cuba through the New Zealand Cuba Society Account: 02-0159-0200303-00

Wellington City should be a place where everyone has a stable, healthy and suitable home whatever their income. A place where children can grow up together and where people can put down roots near the people and places they need to thrive. Housing affects every part of our lives. The stress of short tenancies, week-to-week emergency housing grants, and the looming threat of rental increases has a major impact on people’s wellbeing and working lives. Constant moving to find housing robs whānau of the opportunity to connect with their communities. State housing has and can provide stable, affordable homes for people on lower incomes - from the first ever state house built in Miramar, to the new state housing built in Pukeahu Mt Cook. We know from our own history and from overseas, that when governments play a bigger role in building and providing decent and suitable housing, we lay the foundation for thriving communities. Yet, despite the benefits, successive governments have not built enough homes to meet the growing need in our communities. In Pōneke Wellington: • There are 621 households on the housing register for Wellington City, 585 are considered Priority A (September 2025).[1] • There are 2,766 people in severe housing deprivation in Wellington City which forces people into unsafe and unstable living arrangements.[2] • State housing provider Kāinga Ora is selling sites making this land unavailable for future public housing[3] • And, the Government has cancelled projects and paused other projects, including the 300+ units at Arlington St, Mt Cook[4] There are 400 state homes which have been cancelled in Wellington City[5], including: • Evans Bay Pde, Kilbirnie, Wellington with 30 homes that were going to be Universal Design cancelled • Ngatiapa St, Tukanae St & Rahui St, Strathmore Park, Wellington with 41 homes cancelled • Nuku St, Strathmore Park, Wellington with 28 homes cancelled • Wayside, Miramar, Wellington with 1 home cancelled • Arlington St, Mt Cook with 300 homes, foundations in the ground is pending a decision Only 3 projects continue: • Miller Place, Lyall Bay with 28 homes is proceeding and due for completion in 2027 • Kekerenga St with 3 homes is due for completion in 2026 • Coromandel St, Newtown with 11 homes is due for completion 2026 While these essential public housing developments have been cancelled, the need for decent and secure housing has increased. Downtown Community Ministry recorded a 24% increase in rough sleeping for the first 3 months of 2025 compared to the same time in 2024.[6] Wellington is fortunate that the City Council is involved in housing through Te Toi Mahana, a Community Housing Provider (with 1764 homes) and through Te Kainga housing (370 homes), and with NGO community providers like Dwell (100 tenancies) and Wellington City Mission (70+ transitional units, and rest home and residential care). Despite this, it is still not enough to meet demand and these providers have limited access to funding to build more. The Government has the obligation and the ability to fund housing to meet the needs of all. We need the Government to build more public housing, but to also make the housing they build accessible and suitable for our communities. This means supporting different types of public housing, including using the Housing First approach, which is a proven best practice for supporting whānau who have experienced long-term homelessness and have other challenges, such as mental health and addication. It means housing first, and then wrap-around services for whānau after.[7] Te Ō in Mt Cook is an example of how this is working for Wellington City public housing, through a Single Site Supported Housing model.  If we leave house building to the market, we’ll keep building homes that are not accessible or suitable for our communities - with steps, narrow doorways, and bathrooms that don’t work for many. Through publically-funded housing we can support designs that work for your niece with cerebral palsy, your friend recovering from a stroke, your pregnant sister, your colleague with a broken leg, or your granddad who now uses a walking frame.  Currently, only 4% of our public housing has universal design that are suitable for a wide variety of people, while the housing register has around 19% of people in households who need accessible housing. Kāinga Ora were making commitments to building more accessible homes including the 30 universally designed homes on Evans Bay Pde that have now been cancelled. We ask the House of Representatives and Minister of Housing retain existing housing sites, keep building the promised state houses and to increase public builds at a scale that will ensure stable, permanently affordable and accessible housing for everyone who needs it. References: 1. Housing Register, MSD September 2025 2. Aotearoa Data Explorer, Severe Housing Deprivation Census 2023 Stats NZ  3. Property Sales, Kāinga Ora, 2026 4. Kāinga Ora slashes social housing in Wellington. The Post, 19 June 2025 5. Data from a spreadsheet available in this Information sheet: Project assessments and write downs, Kāinga Ora, June 2025 6. Homelessness Insights Report. Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. June 2025  7. Read more about how Housing First works with public housing in Finland here and in Aotearoa here. Pōneke Public Housing Futures is a group of everyday people in Wellington who believe secure, suitable housing is a fundamental right that must be available to everyone with a need. We are concerned that not enough public housing is being built to meet the needs of all in Wellington. Stable affordable housing is the first step needed for everyone to thrive. Currently in New Zealand only 4% of all housing is state or community housing, this is significantly lower than many other countries. We want to see a large increase so that everyone who wants a public or state house can be housed without spending months on a waiting list. 

Our Ahipara community should not have to live in fear of roaming dogs. My kids saw a dog being attacked right in front of them — it was violent, chaotic, and traumatic. No child should have to witness that, and no Council should accept it as normal. This is not about being anti-dog. It’s about keeping our community safe, ensuring people take responsibility for their pets, and preventing harm before it happens.

With over 15% of Aotearoa, and over 30% of Māori (1), having used cannabis obtained through illegal markets in 2024, the legalisation of cannabis for recreational use would clearly be beneficial to the mana, money and health of a large number of New Zealanders. It’s been over 5 years since the narrowly failed 2020 Referendum, and surveys show that a vast majority of the public is now in favour of some sort of drug law reform(2). What are the reasons that consumers, non-consumers and public advocates like New Zealand Drug Foundation(3) support the drafting and passing of new legal cannabis legislation? Firstly, in a legal market, users would have access to more information about what they are consuming as well as the potential health risks it carries, and would not be presented with the option to buy other more harmful drugs while purchasing cannabis (one of the major factors involved in the ‘gateway drug’ myth). Improving public discourse and reducing stigma would begin to restore the mana and dignity of individuals and communities that have been harmed by negative narratives around illegal drug use.  From an economic perspective, in addition to an estimated $1–1.5B in tax revenue(4) from the legal market, many desperately needed safe and sustainable jobs would be created, providing better opportunities for those stuck in the dangerous and unstable world of the illegal market. With less resourcing of illegal trafficking and more resourcing of education and harm-reduction services, a legal marijuana market would create safer and healthier communities.  Finally, there is the obvious issue of how cannabis users are treated by the legal system. There is a common misconception, spread most often in privileged communities, that “weed is practically legal” in Aotearoa. From 30th June 2024 to 30th June 2025 alone, 180 people were convicted for simply using or possessing cannabis(5) (not including those who possessed cannabis with intent to traffic). If that number does not seem particularly high, consider that cannabis related charges were involved in over 3600 court cases during this period(5); so cannabis prohibition, that goes against the advice of domestic experts and the view of the general public, is still being weaponised as a tool of punishment in our legal system.  And of course, the most devastating effects of prohibition happen outside the courtroom, with the overpolicing of marginalised communities. A 2024 investigation by Aotearoa Justsice Watch found “concerns about improper searches” to be the most dominant theme in submissions about police conduct (6), and racial profiling causes Māori and people of colour to be more heavily targeted for warrantless cannabis searches. Recent roadside drug-testing laws use inaccurate testing methods that over-police drivers who had most recently consumed cannabis days before, and even affect prescription cannabis users (7).  Even in places overseas where cannabis has been legalised, poor policing laws allow cops to harass and search citizens on suspicion of engagement in illicit dealing or production, causing much of the same profiling and violence that occurs under total prohibition. A requirement of police to use non-invasive means such as photography to capture evidence of actual illicit transactions, rather than searching private property for stashes exceeding an arbitrary legal threshold, would more effectively minimise contact between law enforcement and the communities that are most harmed by cannabis prohibition. Improved transparency around drug policing would be a step towards fairer policing, and safer communities.  These reasons, and this petition, are only a partial representation of the rich and diverse perspectives that exist in support of cannabis legalisation in Aotearoa. We, the undersigned, call on the government of Aotearoa to take urgent action in acknowledging our demands and seeking wide-ranging consultation to create more fair, equal and safer cannabis legislation for Aotearoa.  Sources: 1. https://drugfoundation.org.nz/news-and-reports/report-drug-use-in-aotearoa-202324  2. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northland-age/news/nationwide-poll-shows-majority-want-cannabis-laws-relaxed/Y6QCN5T63NFMBMKYTOYV66KYRQ/  3. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/575403/decriminalising-drug-use-best-way-to-combat-rising-addiction-report-finds  4. https://drugfoundation.org.nz/news-and-reports/berl-report-shows-nz-will-be-better-off-under-legal-cannabis.  5. Ministry of Justice Cannabis Offences Table, June 2025 version, downloaded from https://www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector-policy/research-data/justice-statistics/data-tables/  6. https://amnesty.org.nz/new-report-mistreatment-by-police-and-prison-officers/ 7. https://drugfoundation.org.nz/news-and-reports/roadside-drug-testing-what-you-need-to-know 

Over half of New Zealand’s population lives in the Golden Triangle, and it is one of the fastest-growing parts of the country — it makes sense to have a modern, safe and efficient train service between Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.  Te Huia is already showing how passenger rail can help people get to work, study, healthcare, and visit whānau without relying on long, expensive, and often dangerous road trips.  Investing in passenger rail eases congestion, improves road safety, reduces emissions and supports regional growth and tourism. With major rail infrastructure already in place and the City Rail Link opening in 2026, now is the time to build on Te Huia’s foundations — not walk away from them.