Posts by Metiria Turei

• 

  Cackling Paula has no idea how kids will survive her reforms - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  You might think that the idea of financial sanctions on the very poorest children in New Zealand because of their parents’ behaviour would be an anathema to anyone who cares about the welfare of children. Its cruel, at best, and downright dangerous at worst. So when the Minister of Social Development decides that the income [...] read more
  April 11, 2013 5:08 pm - 13 Comments
• 

  John Banks: learn a little history? - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Charter schools are no joke. What’s funny, however, is John Banks’ referring to the opponents of charter schools as “Cassandras”, seemingly unaware that back in the day, poor old Cassandra was famous for her prophetic insight and the fact that her accurate warnings were ignored. John Banks probably didn’t intend to suggest the Green Party [...] read more
  February 26, 2013 4:13 pm - 18 Comments
• 

  The heart has been ripped out of Christchurch school communities - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Schools can be the heart of their communities. In the aftermath of the Canterbury earthquakes, schools played a stabilising role not just for students, but for parents and staff as well. Now though, the Government has ripped the hearts out of some of the hardest hit communities. read more
  February 19, 2013 3:18 pm - 58 Comments
• 

  Charter schools have no future - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Yesterday we announced that I will become the party’s education spokesperson and I am really looking forward to Catherine and I working together to stop the Government’s attacks on our public education system. Im also pleased that Labour agrees with us, that Charter schools have no future in NZ and that together we will remove [...] read more
  February 14, 2013 10:05 am - 80 Comments
• 

  My prayer for the nation this Waitangi Day - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  How can we, as this country’s leaders, address the inequity that has grown up amongst us? How can we build a nation where we trust and look after one another- where we are our brother’s and sisters keeper – not their bitter rival? read more
  February 6, 2013 7:56 am - 39 Comments
• 

  Metiria Turei’s speech in reply to the Prime Minister - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  There is nothing in today’s speech that offers tangible solutions to the big issues facing everyday New Zealanders. Worse, the direction set out by this Government does not reflect the intrinsic character of New Zealand or the underlying values of New Zealanders. read more
  January 29, 2013 3:39 pm - 47 Comments
• 

  Home for life – Metiria Turei’s speech at Ratana - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
   Metiria Turei’s speech to the annual gathering to celebrate the birthday of the prophet, Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana  24th January, 2013  Tēnēi au e tu whakaiti nei i raro i a Ranginui, i runga i a Papatuānuku, e titiro kau ana ki ngā maunga whakahi me ngā tini uri o Tane. Ki Te Temepara Tapu, ki [...] read more
  January 24, 2013 4:43 pm - 9 Comments
• 

  Reshuffle musical chairs – who cares? - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  How interesting is it for most people that Ministers who earn fat six figure pay-packets played musical chairs with their jobs today? Commentators have labelled John Key’s Cabinet reshuffle “dramatic” and “bold” but really all he is doing is swapping a few roles around between his MPs who have failed, if they even really tried, [...] read more
  January 22, 2013 4:01 pm - 2 Comments
• 

  John Key and me - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  John Key and I have a similar background in some ways. We both come from a childhood of deprivation and honour our parents for their hard work and unconditional love.  As children, we both had access to a state education, to free healthcare, to a state provided home and state support for our parents when [...] read more
  December 12, 2012 4:04 pm - 53 Comments
• 

  Will the Government stand up for victims, or the Casino? - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  The National Government has grandstanded about standing up for victims. But given a chance to do something meaningful for the victims of gambling-related crime, they’re backing their mates at the Casino instead. My Criminal Proceeds (Application to Casinos) Amendment Bill is a chance to protect New Zealand businesses from the harm of gambling crime. It [...] read more
  December 5, 2012 1:40 pm - 6 Comments
• 

  Safe mothers, safe children - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Rodney Hide’s latest piece in the NZ Herald exposes a callous and dangerous attitude. He needs to ask himself whether he really wants solutions to reduce child death or whether he just wants to pontificate while more women and more children suffer. Every death of a child at the hands of parent is a deep [...] read more
  November 26, 2012 5:35 pm - 124 Comments
• 

  Paula Bennett must take responsibility for privacy breaches at her Ministry - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Since the massive privacy breach at the Ministry of Social Development was made public on Sunday 14th October, Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has consistently passed the buck and refused to accept responsibility for the total failure of leadership she has provided. The release of the damning Deloitte Independent Review of Information Systems Security on [...] read more
  November 6, 2012 11:14 am - 4 Comments
• 

  Paula Bennett’s words on privacy woefully inconsistent - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  In Parliament today, Paula Bennett further showed her woeful inconsistency when it comes to New Zealander’s right to have their private information remain private. In response to my question in Parliament to her, Bennett stated that she was “very concerned about people’s personal information being available through the kiosks.” It seems that the same level [...] read more
  October 16, 2012 5:04 pm - 6 Comments
• 

  Nat MP nails problem with youth rates - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  (note: the above headline is not a typo) The statement below could very well be the basis for a future speech by an MP opposed to National’s legislation that will result in many young New Zealanders getting a pay cut. The fundamental proposition this bill puts up is that we need to pay people less [...] read more
  October 10, 2012 11:49 am - 71 Comments
• 

  Live below the line – Metiria - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Today I started the Live Below the Line challenge where I spend no more than $2.25 a day for 5 days. Please donate to help raise funds to eliminate poverty around the world. Thankfully, Jan and Denise are doing it too, which will make it better and easier because we are allowed to combine funds. [...] read more
  September 25, 2012 6:18 pm - 30 Comments
• 

  Billy McKee should be discharged - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Sick and injured New Zealanders deserve respect and dignity, but the prohibition laws on cannabis persecute and punish.  We have highlighted this before, put legislation up to fix the system and to make it possible for people to use cannabis as a medicine.  Thousands of New Zealanders agree to a compassionate law, but not yet [...] read more
  September 25, 2012 11:07 am - 58 Comments
• 

  Take the Step – Auckland! - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  After spending Wednesday in the House on that crazy, toilet free, golf course plentiful Planet Key, I landed smoothly in the real world at Edmund Hillary Primary at Papakura on Thursday; a decile 1 school with a volunteer breakfast program and a community garden. You might have seen them on Campbell Live in August. Anyway, [...] read more
  September 21, 2012 11:55 am - No Comments
• 

  Te Reo in the House - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  I had a good time last week, Te wiki o Te Reo Maori, Arohatia Te Reo. I have heard a lot of Reo over the years and more as a result of initiatives like this. I have myself studied it at school, university, at night school. Recently I have been kindly offered courses but I [...] read more
  July 31, 2012 3:01 pm - 4 Comments
• 

  TOKM risking indigenous rights? - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  South Korea stunned the international community yesterday by announcing that they intended to exploit the ‘scientific whaling’ exemption in the International Whaling Commission rules and begin hunting minke in their coastal waters. Most nations including New Zealand have condemned this action and we have supported the government’s strong statements about it. South Korea has argued [...] read more
  July 6, 2012 1:26 pm - No Comments
• 

  Let’s get some interaction on crime plan - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  The Government has an Action Plan to reduce crime and reoffending, and it’s great they are going to have a go. Instead of just promising to lock more people up for longer, or forever, they say they will work differently, including more closely with communities and iwi. They have targets that may seem unrealistic — [...] read more
  July 5, 2012 11:27 am - 17 Comments
• 

  “Groupthink” - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Yesterday we saw Work and Income boss, Janet Grossman, quit less than a year after being head-hunted from the UK. This succinctly answers our pending question – how is Minister Bennett’s newly appointed Welfare Board going to work with existing management staff in the Department of Social Development? In this case it has become clear. [...] read more
  June 11, 2012 5:19 pm - 21 Comments
• 

  Insulation programme to reach 230,000 homes - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  It is great to see the announcement yesterday that the home insulation programme that the Green Party initiated will now reach over 230,000 homes. We’re in Parliament because we want to look after New Zealand and all of its people and this scheme is an example of how we can work with parties across the [...] read more
  May 25, 2012 11:42 am - 12 Comments
• 

  Congratulations Keith - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Congratulations Keith. It is great to see Keith recognised for his passionate hard work standing up for human rights both at home and around the world. Keith was awarded Amnesty International Aotearoa’s 2012 Human Rights Defender award over the weekend. We could devote pages to the campaigns, issues and individual cases (not just high profile [...] read more
  May 14, 2012 2:51 pm - 4 Comments
• 

  John Key double standard over John Banks - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  We put out a release today comparing John Key’s demand that Helen Clark stand Winston Peters down over the Owen Glenn donation, to his own failure to take his own advice over John Banks. We said that during the 2008 Privileges Committee inquiry into Winston Peters’ electoral donations, John Key called on Prime Minister Helen [...] read more
  April 30, 2012 5:07 pm - 9 Comments
• 

  Make history tomorrow: vote Green - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  It is election day eve and the Green Party has been polling at record highs over the past few weeks. We need your help to turn those polls into seats in Parliament. You can make history tomorrow and get more Green MPs than ever before. A vote for the Greens is a vote for a [...] read more
  November 25, 2011 6:00 pm - 11 Comments
• 

  Kaimoana, Motiti, and the oil - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Yesterday I was on Motiti Island, where the hapu have borne the brunt of the oil and debris from the grounded Rena. You can clearly see the Rena really from the coast. The hapu are extremely well organised with clean-up crews. They have all the protective gear and they are sending teams out every day. [...] read more
  October 19, 2011 1:31 pm - 14 Comments
• 

  Childcare changes typical of Govt’s anti-child approach - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has realised that if you’re going to work-test sole parents and force them into low-paid jobs when their children are six (or younger), someone’s going to have to look after the kids. read more
  October 3, 2011 4:39 pm - 6 Comments
• 

  Make Working for Families work for all families - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  In 2005, the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) was granted access to the Human Rights Review Tribunal for a case in which they claimed the In Work Tax Credit (IWTC) component of Working for Families (WFF) family assistance package unjustifiably discriminated on the grounds of employment status in providing significantly less assistance to families on [...] read more
  September 9, 2011 7:23 am - 65 Comments
• 

  An afternoon at the $8.95 Welfare Forum - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Yesterday, I went along to the $8.95 Welfare Forum organised by the Alternative Welfare Working Group.  I was pleased to see around 100 people turn out – twice the number I’ve been told were at the $895 Welfare Conference opened by Paula Bennett yesterday. Minister Bennett was, as I expected, a no-show at the $8.95 [...] read more
  June 21, 2011 2:20 pm - 15 Comments
• 

  Hunger is hurting our kids and killing some - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Hunger is hurting our kids before they even had a chance. And its killing some. The idea that we could have “sponsored” children in New Zealand is unpalatable to many of us, but that is essentially what KidsCan are promoting with their new ‘In Our Own Backyard’ campaign. While I applaud the work KidsCan and others are doing, we should never have let things get this bad. But we can choose to fix it. read more
  June 13, 2011 11:18 am - 165 Comments
• 

  Statistics, hyperbole, and hypocrisy on the minimum wage - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Prime Minister John Key claims the Greens’ policy, now also supported by Labour, of increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour will “put 6000 people out of work.” Key maintains Department of Labour advice supports his claim.  So I had a look at the advice, contained in the Department’s 2010 Minimum Wage Review (PDF, [...] read more
  May 24, 2011 12:00 pm - 60 Comments
• 

  Dunedin bus services: the community needs to be involved - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Like most Dunedin residents I too am shocked to see that the DCC is in the final stages of selling Citibus. Is it really that urgent that we the ratepayers of Dunedin find out on Thursday that a sale is mooted, and are informed now that there is a conditional deal? That the council is [...] read more
  April 21, 2011 3:24 pm - 1 Comment
• 

  Family Court review must keep kids in mind - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  I’m pretty concerned at the announcement of a major review of the Family Court. While I acknowledge that the court is not perfect, I’m sceptical that this review will be about identifying areas where it can be improved. It seems to be much more about identifying areas from which to cut. Any review of the [...] read more
  April 20, 2011 11:57 am - 8 Comments
• 

  More signs of Green change from Germany - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  The Green Party’s election victory in the Baden-Wurttemberg state parliament highlights the emergence of the Green movement as a major political force. For the first time in Germany the Greens will lead a coalition government with the traditional left party, the Social Democrats, taking the minor party role. The road to political success for the [...] read more
  March 29, 2011 1:29 pm - 9 Comments
• 

  The Welfare Working Group and its distinctly unambitious target - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  At page 60 of its report the Welfare Working Group suggests: “From the modelling reported in Chapter 10, we are of the view that the evidence from welfare reform in New Zealand and overseas indicates that a reduction of around 100,000 people [in receipt of working age benefits] is very ambitious but feasible.” Let’s put that into context [...] read more
  March 25, 2011 2:04 pm - 43 Comments
• 

  The Welfare Working Group and the back to the future work-for-dole fallacy - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Here’s some more information to support my argument that the Welfare Working Group’s recommendations (PDF) are driven by far right ideology rather by evidence. At page 23 of its report, the Welfare Working Group recommends: …a credible work for welfare scheme be established, in order to test the willingness of a small group of recipients [...] read more
  March 18, 2011 8:54 am - 63 Comments
• 

  The Welfare Working Group and benefit cuts by stealth - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  The Welfare Working Group wants to force beneficiaries to work, but proposes to pay them less if they do so. At page 107 of the Welfare Working Group’s report (PDF) the Group proposes changes to benefit abatement – i.e. the way benefits are reduced in response to income earned by the beneficiary. Currently there are [...] read more
  March 12, 2011 7:45 am - 30 Comments
• 

  The Welfare Working Group and faith-based job creation - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Buried at page 53 of the Welfare Working Group’s report is this extraordinary statement: “…the total number of jobs will expand to equal the number of people who are available and actively seeking work.” read more
  March 10, 2011 11:05 am - 134 Comments
• 

  The Welfare Working Group and the injection - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  As reported on Morning Report yesterday, the Welfare Working Group report makes a startling – indeed deeply frightening – recommendation to link contraception to sole parent benefit receipt. The report says on page 15: We have heard a concern among some people that setting a work expectation for parents when their youngest child reaches three [...] read more
  March 8, 2011 9:23 am - 29 Comments
• 

  Minimum wage rise not enough - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  The Government has announced that the minimum wage will go up by 25c an hour, to $13 an hour, on 1 April. This is not enough. A sole parent working 40 hours a week on $13 an hour will earn just $520 per week before tax – not much to pay rent, feed kids, and [...] read more
  February 7, 2011 6:12 pm - 288 Comments