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Loading ...John’s Key’s sudden about-face on the need for an official poverty measure is being driven purely by cynical politics as he cobbles together a deal with the same parties who have ignored the issue for the past three years, says Labour’s Social Development Spokesperson Annette King.
“John Key has repeatedly rejected calls for an official measure of poverty rates in New Zealand. On December 14 last year, I asked him in the House if he was prepared to set targets for the eradication of child poverty. He said ‘no’.
“This morning he’s woken up and changed his mind, telling Radio New Zealand that a ministerial poverty committee might want to ‘have an official way of measuring poverty’.
“He’s come to that conclusion solely because National needs to strike a political deal with the Māori Party, not because he accepts New Zealand has a serious problem with poverty.
“I’ve had an absolute gutsful of John Key talking about the underclass in New Zealand and using the issue to score political points while doing nothing about the fact that up to 270,000 Kiwi children are living in poverty under his watch.
“He has no credibility on this issue.
“John Key’s sudden decision to also set up a so-called ministerial poverty committee, something that was never foreshadowed during his election campaign, is just a sop to the Māori Party. It’s absolutely gutless.
“If he was serious about addressing poverty in New Zealand, he would be brave enough to reach across the political spectrum and welcome all parties to the table. Instead, John Key has twice rejected formal offers from Labour to work together on the issue.
“This shows the Prime Minister isn’t serious about dealing with poverty. He’s only interested when it suits his political ambitions.
“Labour is passionate about its plan to deal with poverty and will scrutinise the National-led Government’s every move on this issue. We will hold them to account for the promises they are making.”
Workers cannot be expected to carry the burden of losses for big business failures and restructures, says Labour’s Pacific Island Affairs spokesperson and MP for Mangere, Su’a William Sio.
“In a difficult economic climate, employees need assurances that labour laws have their best interests at heart,” Su’a William Sio said. “This is especially the case for Pacific Island workers, many of whom are here on working permits, and workers from areas like South Auckland where jobs are increasingly scarce.
“Unfortunately, meat workers locked out of ANZCO CMP plant in Marton and those participating in strike action against the Port of Auckland will only join a growing trend of workplace unrest as National is set to continue its programme eroding workers’ rights,” Su’a William Sio said.
“My advice to any Pacific worker or anyone from South Auckland is to stick with the union, stand together and hold the line with your union representatives,” Su’a William Sio said.
“A union’s ability to vouch for and protect workers is being undermined by the National Government. This year John Key oversaw the introduction of a 90 day no rights trial period, changes to the personal grievance system and cuts to workplace health and safety which have left workers worse off.
“National’s approach to workers’ rights, including slashing collective bargaining provisions and removing the requirement to conclude negotiations, goes against international best practice and will do nothing to stimulate our already low-wage economy.
“Workers in these on-going disputes have made reasonable concessions, yet have faced harsh treatment. Some reports even suggest Samoan workers have been threatened with deportation if they did not agree to sign new contracts.
“Whether or not these accusations are correct, misinformation is hugely unsettling and an unnecessary stress for low wage families already facing a cash-strapped Christmas.
“In volatile economic times industrial disputes like this may become more widespread. Workers and their families need support,” Su’a William Sio said.
Ia fa’amua sa tatou fa’apolo ma se fa’asagi i le tapa’au i le lagi, ua talia fa’autugatagi, ua ta’o’oto peau o le sami moe fo’i ma matamatagi.
Ae fa’ata’alolo ia paia o Samoa mai le tai samasama o le Tui Manu’a seia paia le tai ulaula o Nafanua – o paia ia e le vaea – e tumau seia o’o lava i le fa’avavau. O paia o le aoao tetele o le tatou atunuu i Samoa ma Aotearoa nei.
O le a sei fana tonu ia le malama ae vili tonu le ifi o maina. Ou te toe fia fa’aopoopo atu i lau fa’afetai na momoli atu mo le tatou Atunu’u i luga o le alaleo 1593AM i le aso Faraile ua te’a.
Fa’afetai Samoa mo le tapuaiga mamana, ile aufai tofa ma le aupuputoa a le tatou Atunu’u i Aotearoa, o paia ia o le tafa-ono o Samoa. E le mafai ona fa’agaloina lo outou lagolago mai ma la outou fesoasoani mai i soo se auala, i le tele o taimi, ao fa’agasolo le faiga kemupaini.
E toe momoli atu la’u fa’afetai i le Komiti o le Leipa i Magele sa gafa ma galuega fa’atino o le kemupaini. Fa’afetai i le autalavou sa lagolago mai. Fa’afetai mo la outou fesoasoani tau tupe, taleni fa’aalia ma outou taimi taua sa foai mai e aunoa ma se taui. E le mafai ona fa’agaloina ia te au la outou tau fai pati mai, ma aiaiuli mai ia te a’u i taimi uma, i tu ma aganuu ma gagana eseese o le Pasefika.
Ou te fa’afetai foi i le Afioga i le Hai Komesina o Samoa, fa’apea le afioga i le Konesula Aoao ma le Konesula o Fefa’atauaiga – o sui vaaia ia o le tatou Malo Tutoatasi o Samoa i Aotearoa nei. E ui o a’u o le faipule Niu Sila, ae e le mafai lava ona fa’agaloina le tapuaiga mamalu a le tatou Atunu’u pele o Samoa i ona tulaga maualuluga ma tulaga fa’alupe.
Ou te toe fia fa’aopoopo atu foi le fa’afetaia i le tapuaiga a le aufaigaluega paia a le Atua, i susuga i fa’afeaigaiga ma latou faletua ma le mamalu i Ekalesia eseese, faapea foi le Afioga ia Patele ma Patele, ma afioga i Tamaitai Sa – o e o loo talaia le finagalo o le Atua i itu e fa o Aotearoa ma Samoa. Fa’fetai tele mo a outou talosaga, ma outou fa’amanuiaga ma upu fa’amalosiau i soo se taimi ao fa’atino o’u tiute.
A ou liliu i nai ou aiga pele, uo ma e ua masani, fa’apea foi ni ou paolo ma ni ou gafa maualuluga, gafa tau tupu ma ni ou maluapapa i le tafafa o Samoa ma le lalolagi atoa. Fa’afetai i lo outou lagolago mai – i lo outou afu toto ma le afu liligi, i soo se auala eseese.
Faafetai foi i lou tama pele i le afioga ia Aupito Pupu Sio, le afioga i le Sa’o Usoalii. Fa’afetai i lau faufautua mai i lou mafaufau vaivai i soo se taimi i soo se tulaga. Sa ou lagona lava lou loto tele ma le mafanafana ona o lou tuualalo mai ia te au i taimi uma. Fa’afetai mo au fa’amanuiaga ia te au.
E le fa’agaloina foi le tautua matavela a le au fa’asalalau tala i nusipepa eseese ma ala leo i Aotearoa nei. E tele la outou sao ma le fesoasoani iai matou ma le tatou Atunu’u i soo se mataupu. Fa’afetai i le Samoa Observer, Samoa Star, Samoa News ma isi nusipepa ma ala leo.
E fa’apitoa la’u fa’afetai i lau susuga i le Fa’afeagaiga Pastor Lui Ponifasio ma le faletua, ae maise le aufaigaluega a le Leitio Samoa 1593AM ma le Samoa Times. E le mafai ona fa’agaloina la outou tautua ia Samoa i le tele o avanoa ma le fesoasoani i le fa’alauaiteleina o mataupu sa luga lalo ai polokiki i Niu Sila nei.
Ia avea foi lenei avanoa e toe momoli atu ai la’u fa’amalo ma le fa’amanuiaga i le sui fou o Samoa lea ua ofi i le lalo o le vaega a le NZ First. Fa’amalo le tau, fa’amalo le toa ia lau afioga Leau Asenati Taylor. E moni lava le muagagana a Samoa – e au le inailau a tamaitai. Ia manuia lou alo atu i lou tofi.
Ou te fa’amanuia atu foi i le toe pale mai o le afioga ia Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga o le sui o le Malo a le National.
Ou te talitonu e ui lava e eseese tatou vaega faaupufai, ae oute manatu e iai lava mataupu e mafai ai ona tatou galulue fa’atasi ma soalaupule aua le sailiga o se manuia o Samoa i le lumanai.
I isi ou uso a sui tauva – ae maise sui a le Leipa i le susuga ia Carmel Sepuloni, Jerome Mika, Nick Bakulich, Anahila Suisuiki, Peter Foster, Kris Fa’afoi, Charles Chauvel faapea le afioga ia Tuifa’asisina Meaole Keil. Malo le tau, malo le tauivi, malo le finau.
E ui ua malolo le tatou sailiga malo ma le tatou taumafaiga e fa’atu le faigamalo a le Leipa – e toe oso lava le la. Tatou vaai i luma ma tuli matai le tausaga 2014 mo se tatou ai.
Oute manatu le Atunuu peleina, o au ose auauna faatauvaa, ae ana leai lo outou lagolago mai e le taunuu sou faamoemoe.
Ou te manatu o le mana ma le taitaiga o le Atua Silisiliese e fa’avavau – fa’atasi ma la outou faufautua tuualalo mai ia te au i soo se auala – ua mafai ai ona maua sou manatu o lea ua iu ma le manuia le faigapalota, ua sili atu lava pasene o palota ua ou mauaina i Magele i lo seisi lava faipule a le Leipa i Aotearoa.
Oute le mimita ai pe oute faamaualuga ai , na o le naunauga ia ou tautua ma le faamaoni i luma o le Atua aua le mamalu o le tatou Atunuu.
E le faagaloina la outou lagolago mai i auala eseese. E le avea foi nei tofiga e fai ma tulaga e galo ai ia te au le tatou va fealoaloai ma le va fa’amatai ona o au lava o le Samoa moni – o au lava ose atalii, uso, poo se tuagane ia te outou.
Faaiu atu sau faamatalaga ia alofa le Atua tumau pea le soifua laulelei ma ana faamanuiaga i tupu ma ee o Samoa faapea le aufaigaluega paia o le Atua i itu e fia o Aotearoa. Ia fa’amanuia le Atua i tupulaga talavou mo le lumanai. Soifua o a’u o Su’a Viliamu Sio, faipule a Magele.
Ends.
