On Friday the 25th of September families with children from around Te Whanganui-a-Tara are gathering at parliament at 12:30 pm for a birthday party protest calling for climate justice for preschoolers and everyone else!

Father of two James Barber says, “our second child was born the day before the massive climate strike in September last year. Over a hundred thousand people marched for fair solutions to climate change. One year later, our child’s generation, and everyone else, deserve climate justice and a hopeful, equitable future just as much as ever. Everyone wants a stable climate and a fair future for children because this is the world they will grow up in. We need real action to address climate change as well as the unfair social and economic systems which have created it.”

The families will gather at the statue on Parliament lawn near the playground. Attendees are invited to bring their own picnic lunch but there will be birthday cupcakes.

“Real action on climate change means ending oil and gas drilling as well as coal mining as soon as possible while supporting the affected communities in a genuine just transition. Families and others deserve a say in the working conditions they rely on to survive.”

“This means genuinely supporting tino rangatiratanga so Māori get real decision making power on what happens in their country.”

“This means listening to our Pacific neighbours, who are facing the brunt of climate change, and doing everything we can to support them in the solutions they decide.”

“This means placing the burden and cost of tackling climate change on the shoulders of the fossil fuel companies which have created the problem.”

This coincides with the international Fridays for Future Day of Action and the arrival of the Extinction Rebellion Election Roadshow at parliament. “Both are excellent examples of on-going hard work and campaigns the government should be listening to.”

“The government has talked big on climate and passed bills which create committees which will then create recommendations but radical and transformative change is needed.”

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