Labour champions the Living Wage

Labour Leader David Shearer says he supports the campaign for a Living Wage to lift the incomes of hard-working New Zealanders so they can better support their families.

“I have advocated for the Living Wage ever since I was elected Leader of the Labour Party. We will champion it and work alongside community groups to do what we can to support the movement.

“Too many New Zealanders are working hard but not getting ahead. Many people I meet say they simply can’t earn enough to pay the basic bills and are having to take on two or three jobs to support themselves.

“A Living Wage would allow families to give their children the opportunities they need to reach their full potential. They’ll be better able to afford things like school camps, a computer or extra-curricular activities to help their kids grow.

“The National-led Government’s hands-off approach to the economy is hurting families. Wages are stagnating while the cost of living continues to rise. I don’t want New Zealand to be a low wage country. That’s why Labour will make changes so that families can have a better life.

“A first step that should be taken now is to lift the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Labour will do that in Government.

“But we should also aspire to a Living Wage to make a difference to the lives of many working Kiwis. We know that 40% of the children living in poverty in New Zealand come from working families. It’s time to lift the wages of their parents so that all our Kiwi kids get the chance to succeed in life.”
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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>