Category: transport

Labour welcomes the Auditor-General’s inquiry into the Government’s school lunches programme.

“After months of chaos and kids going hungry, I’m glad that David Seymour’s school lunches mess is now being investigated,” Labour’s education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime said.

“I’ve heard from schools who’ve shared their heartbreak at seeing kids going hungry following the government changes to the programme. It’s even more disheartening when the Minister’s response has been to blame and shame schools that speak out.

“It’s been a huge waste of time and resources for schools and has distracted many teachers from their classrooms as they dealt with David Seymour’s mess.

“We’ve seen reports showing the lunches are not up to nutritional standard and a procurement process that has raised many unanswered questions.

“Where Education Minister Erica Stanford has failed to act, I’m glad the Auditor-General is. David Seymour guaranteed that all will be fixed come Term 2, but the problems continue,” Willow-Jean Prime said.

---

Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X. 

This Government is taking the women’s movement backwards, ensuring women will continue to be paid less into the future.

“Instead of continuing the good work of successive governments to close the well-documented gender pay gap in our country, the Government is making it harder for women to get ahead,” Labour workplace relations and safety spokesperson Jan Tinetti said.

“Women have historically been paid less, currently it’s at around 92 cents to every dollar a man earns.

“Government absolutely has a role to play to reduce the gender pay gap over time, and yet this one is about to push through legislation under urgency to stop women from making pay equity claims when they are paid less than their male colleagues doing a similar job.

“Not content with trashing workers’ rights, Brooke Van Velden is now going after women on Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis’ behalf.

“She thinks teachers don’t have the right to feel angry with the government, but 94,000 teachers who have equal pay claims would disagree.
“This is a Government that is choosing to ignite a debate around women’s bathrooms, while destroying a women’s right to be paid the same as men. I don’t think I’ve ever seen something so gross and backwards in my life.

“Funny how they can find money for tax cuts for landlords and the tobacco lobby but not for women.

“If this is how Nicola Willis is planning to pay for her Budget then I suspect many people are going to let her know pretty quickly that she’s made the wrong decision,” Jan Tinetti said.

---

Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X. 

Erica Stanford has been misusing her personal email address to manage sensitive information relating to Budget and visa changes prior to their public release.

“Documents show the Education Minister has sent sensitive government information to an unprotected email address,” Labour’s education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime said.

“We’re talking about serious government decisions that affect peoples’ lives and have millions of taxpayer dollars attached to them. Ministers have a responsibility to keep this information safe.

“Going off the grid with sensitive information is hanging a welcome sign to threats to our national security.

“In 2023 the Cabinet Manual was updated, and now specifically states ‘As far as possible, Ministers should not use their personal email account or phone number to conduct ministerial business.’ This goes far beyond that.

“We have rules for a reason and Erica Stanford isn’t above them. She needs to be upfront about what she is using her personal email for and how much sensitive information has been shared,” Willow-Jean Prime said.

---

Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X. 

After failing to be upfront about cuts to intensive care beds, it’s now becoming clear that other downgrades to Dunedin Hospital are being concealed by the Minister of Health.

“National is reducing dementia and psychogeriatric beds capacity at the new Dunedin Hospital by almost half, with no alternative clinical option for older people,” Labour mental health and seniors spokesperson Ingrid Leary said.

“Psychogeriatric care is complex, requiring specialist services and care which are already very scarce in the community.

“Labour had a review underway to look at the best model of care for psychogeriatric services, but that work seems to have been shelved.

“Scaling back the hospital beds on the basis of an as-yet undefined model of care is at best magical thinking, at worst another way of concealing cuts.

“The lower South Island has an older population per capita than most parts of NZ and is already amongst the worst off when it comes to the postcode lottery for access to specialist mental health services.

“To make slash and burn decisions in this context is a slap in the face to our communities and renders Simeon Brown’s assurances earlier this year plain gaslighting,” Ingrid Leary said.

---

Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.