Tēnā koutou Political Party Leaders, We are writing to you because we are concerned about the Ram Raid Offending and Related Measures Amendment Bill which is currently proceeding before parliament. We represent a collective of organisations who are committed to serving, caring for and advocating for children and young people. Like the vast majority of New Zealanders, we want a more just, more inclusive Aotearoa. We want a society where our children and young people are cared for, loved, and provided with their basic needs. We want people within our communities to feel that they belong, to feel connected, to feel that their voices are heard and that they matter. When people cause harm in our community, we want a justice system which honours the voices of those who have been harmed, and provides healing, restoration, and reconciliation, both for those who have been harmed, and for those who have caused harm. As a collective of organisations filled with people who have dedicated their lives to advocating for the rights of children and young people, we have been saddened and frustrated to watch as political expediency has overridden care and consideration for our children. Instead of laying out the evidence, educating the public on the root causes that can impact on a child becoming involved in crime, and outlining evidence-based solutions, political leaders on all sides of the aisle have contributed to building a “tough on crime” narrative which has created an environment of fear in our communities and obscured real solutions that will keep our communities safe. The result of such rhetoric is clear within the Ram Raid Bill. This Bill violates the human rights of children, it is out of step with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and it fails to address the root causes that contribute to children causing harm in our communities. As you will be aware, the evidence consistently shows that young people and children who cause harm in our community are some of our most structurally marginalized and vulnerable.  These are children who have themselves first been harmed, who have experienced trauma, suffered abuse, been living in poverty, experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity, mental illness, addiction, are struggling with undiagnosed disabilities, and whose whānau are dealing with the impact of social exclusion and generational trauma. We are calling for you, as leaders, to lead. Withdraw your support from this bill and instead back evidence-based solutions that will serve our communities.  We also urge you to commit to real, sustainable reform by following the advice of Te Uepū Hāpai i Te Ora, the Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group, in order to ensure that justice reform is depoliticized through the development of a cross-party parliamentary accord for transformative justice. The wellbeing of our communities and the human rights of our children are too important to be continually used as political footballs each and every election cycle. We deserve a justice system that is backed by evidence, upholds the human rights of all our tamariki and our whānau, and contributes to building a more just and more inclusive Aotearoa. We appreciate you taking the time to read our letter and we look forward to meeting with each of you as a rōpū in the near future.  Ngā mihi,  Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand  Ara Taiohi, peak body for youth development in Aotearoa  Auckland Action Against Poverty  Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW)  Barnardos Aotearoa  Canterbury Howard League for Penal Reform  Community Law Centres o Aotearoa    Celia Lashlie Trust   Dr. Enys Delmage, Consultant in Adolescent Forensic Psychiatry   Dr. Luke Fitzmaurice-Brown   Dr. Sue Bagshaw  Disabled Persons Assembly NZ  FASD-CAN  Family for Every Child  JustSpeak  Korowai Tupu, professional association for Youth Work in Aotearoa   Kick Back  Key Assets New Zealand  Mana 2022 Inc.  NZCCSS  Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou  Peace Action Wellington  People Against Prisons Aotearoa  START  Save the Children  Talitonu Te Kaha  Te Tahi Youth  Trauma-informed Educators NZ   The Collaborative Trust   Youth Hub Christchurch  VOYCE - Whakarongo-Mai  Wellington Howard League  YouthLaw Aotearoa  Youth Arts New Zealand   Zeal

Sign and share this petition amongst friends, peers and family to stop funding cuts to the CAB. We the community, need to mobilise in support of our CAB to stop cuts that put the entire service at risk. We ask that Wellington City Councillors and Mayor Justin Lester put an end to the threat of funding cuts and loss of premises for the Wellington CAB.

Ban all semiautomatic firearms, and large-capacity magazines.

We want schools to lead the conversation, as most of our youth are in schools and can be educated about this issue of violence. We want to normalise conversations about teen violence within schools and communities. This needs to be talked about openly so we can do something about it, and help prevent further damage to our youth. Dear Schools, educate our youth and help them.

We ask you to cancel plans to close the Saturday morning music programme which has provided affordable music lessons for Wellington children for over 60 years.

For a system that puts people and papatūānuku over profits

The coalition government plans to change Aotearoa's gun laws by 2026. These new laws allegedly aim to alleviate the pressure on recreational gun users (e.g. gun ranges.) However, there is a palpable lack of transparency surrounding the consultation process which has left many key parties in the dark. The NZ police are not involved in this consultation process and ACT has not been specific in who they have asked to join in the consultation. They are not currently willing to share the document with the public: inquiries towards this have been ignored. Changing the gun laws is a decision which will affect the entirety of Aotearoa and the consultation document should at the very least be shared with the police, if not the public as well.  We are calling on the gun minister, Nicole Mckee, to increase transparency around the consultation document and the government's plans to change the gun laws. 

We, the undersigned residents of Kāwhia and others with longstanding ties to the region, call upon our elected officials and staff of Ōtorohanga District Council to:    1. Remove vehicle access from vulnerable areas of the inner Kāwhia Harbour to protect:     - The harbour's delicate ecosystem and marine life     - Public safety in recreational areas     - Cultural and historical sites     - Shoreline stability    2. Support the development of alternative access infrastructure, specifically:     - Establish a designated access way at Ocean Beach as offered by TKI     - Ensure the new access point minimises environmental impact     - Create appropriate parking facilities away from sensitive areas    3. Work with the community to:     - Develop a comprehensive implementation plan     - Consider the needs of all harbour users     - Protect both environmental and recreational values  

On 13-14 October 2020, the Minerals Forum happens again in Kirikiriroa/Hamilton. The forum will have speakers and representatives from gold, coal, oil and gas, iron sand, phosphate, lithium and aggregate mining companies as well as intensive farming companies and government departments. These include Bathurst, Trans Tasman Resources, OceanaGold, Chatham Rock Phosphate, NZ Petroleum and Minerals, Straterra, Fonterra and more. Ironically, the theme of the 2020 Minerals Forum is 'Mining’s Role in a Prosperous, Low-emissions Economy'. We need an urgent shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative one. We want real action on changing our economy now and we want this forum stopped! This year we've seen massive change happen across Aotearoa with communities returning to growing their own food, repairing things, getting back on bikes and reaching out to share resources and look after one another. This is how it should be. This is what will actually halt climate change and bring back a regenerative economy based on environmental restoration and responsible production with abundance and health for all. Put money and expertise in a regenerative economy, not in mining our future.

That the Ministers divest District Health Boards of the responsibility of funding NZNO members' wage negotiations for safe staffing.