ISSUE 56, OCTOBER 2020 The newsletter of the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services Election 2020: A fair and compassionate future for all New Zealanders After a shaky start, due to the failings and inequalities of our mar- Statement is underpinned by a vi- ON I SS re-emergence of Covid-19 in ket-based economy, which have cre- sion of Aotearoa New Zealand as a I OMM Auckland, Election 2020 is back on ated the conditions needed for pov- fair and compassionate society in C track and New Zealanders will go to erty and exclusion to thrive – a low which everyone has a ‘liveable in- LECTORAL E T: T: the polls on Saturday 17 October to wage economy, high housing costs, come’, a warm, safe home and can I RED elect the next government. and a low top tax rate. participate meaningfully in their C 2020 continues to present unprec- ‘Every day NZCCSS members see community. edented challenges for New Zealand desperate families and whānau both clothes and shoes, and to join their All New Zealanders have a What does a fair and and the rest of the world, and these in work and receiving income support friends at sports, kapa haka, mu- liveable Income compassionate society, will remain until a vaccine is found. struggling to provide food and shelter. sic and other activities. • Increase benefit levels and sup- Covid-19 has exposed many of the Their income is simply not enough to manaakitia te ara whakamua, NZCCSS believe there are enough port the payment of a liveable cover both rent for housing and the basic mean? resources in Aotearoa New Zealand wage to ensure all New Zealanders essentials necessary for their health and • Our poorest families and whānau Election 2020 resources 2 to enable everyone to live with dig- have an income that provides the wellbeing. Having a liveable income and have sufficient income to live their Talking cents 3 nity. In a fair and compassionate necessities of life and can mean- Election 2020: Referendums 4 a warm, safe home is fundamental to lives with mana and dignity, join society there are mechanisms to ingfully participate with dignity Letter “To the Voters of NZ” 4 the protection of our intrinsic value and in local activities, and feel con- distribute public resources so that in our communities. Equality Network Scorecard 5 dignity as human beings made in God’s nected to their community. everyone can experience a baseline Tick for kids Scorecard 6 image,’ says NZCCSS President, Ian All New Zealanders can access My whare youth housing pilot 7 • Our poorest families and whānau standard of living that enables peo- Hutson. affordable, secure and quality An insight into youth housing in can afford to live in a permanent, ple to develop and flourish. Christchurch 8 quality home, that enables their housing Rethinking our values and NZCCSS is calling on political More evidence to support lifting core children/tamariki to participate • Immediately and substantially in- benefit rates 9 harnessing our sense of common parties to commit to immediate at the local school and to access crease the construction of public A game changer from the Wellington good, compassion and fairness changes to address income adequa- City Mission 9 health supports. cy and affordable, secure and quali- housing in both the government Election 2020 is a time to re-think Research on Pacific Island carers aged • Our poorest families and whānau ty housing. and community housing sectors. 16–24 10 our society’s values and harness our SSUE can provide for their children/ I Good Information Sharing Regional sense of common good, compassion Background paper S I tamariki to eat fresh fruit and veg- Workshops 11 and fairness. NZCCSS’ Election Māori language week 12 etables and meat, to wear warm Read more about NZCCSS’ thinking on Election 2020 here. IN TH ELECTION 2020 KETE KUPU ISSUE 56, OCTOBER 2020 2 Election 2020 resources CREDIT: ELECTORAL COMMISSION The New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ Election 2020 Catholic Social Justice Week 2020 general election statement Methodist The New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ 2020 general election statement draws The Methodist Alliance election pri- on Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’: ‘Everything is connected. Concern for the orities to reduce poverty lift benefit environment needs to be joined to a sincere love for our fellow human beings and an levels and abatement thresholds. unwavering commitment to resolving The Methodist Alliance of nation- During Catholic Social Justice Week the problems of society.’ al alliance of social service agencies (6–12 September) Caritas focussed Voters are also being asked to re- is calling on political candidates to on social justice principles as a spond to two referendum questions increase benefits and the income framework to interpret social issues on euthanasia and making recrea- threshold at which benefits are cut and to take action to seek social jus- tional cannabis legal. In reflecting so that people on benefits can get tice – Easy as CST: Unlocking the on these questions, the bishops say, back to work, contribute to the eco- Church’s potential Māmā noa, pēnei ‘we again need to look at the wider nomic recovery and lift themselves i te CST: Te tuku i ngā Pūmanawa o te picture; asking how the proposed out of poverty. hāhi kia whai hua. law changes will affect the vulnerable and our connectedness to one another.’ In addition to increasing bene- Human dignity, solidarity, sub- More information on the Catholic Bishops of Aotearoa New Zealand’s fits and raising the benefit abate- sidiarity, stewardship, common 2020 Election statement is available in the September Welcom. ment threshold to the equivalent good, participation, and preferen- of 15 hours per week at the mini- tial option for the poor, distributive mum wage, the Methodist Alliance justice, and the promotion of peace also calls for the recommendations are eight Catholic Social Teachings of the Welfare Expert Advisory (CST) that underpin ethical deci- Group report Whakamana Tāngata: Election 2020: make your vote count sions and actions. Restoring Dignity to Social Security ‘The Church’s teachings are a rich From the Presbyterian Moderator in New Zealand to be put in place. treasure that help us to apply Gospel val- The abatement threshold must ues such as love, peace, justice, compas- ‘Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities for there is no also be raised. This is the amount sion and community to today’s issues, authority except that which God has established.’ Romans 13:1. of money a person on a benefit can enabling us to work towards building Right Rev Fakaofo Kaio, Moderator, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New earn before the benefit is cut. It a just and fair society,’ said Caritas Zealand, is urging people to vote. ‘There are many who argue, and who believe was set up in 1986 based on 15 hours Director Julianne Hickey. strongly, that State and Church affairs should not be intertwined and merged to- work per week at the minimum The CST resources offer another gether. That they should be far apart from each other. New Zealand has a history of wage, which at the time, represent- tool to help us think about Election Church and State working together for the betterment of the nation. Though, in later ed $80 per week. It is still only $90. years the two seem to be significantly apart. Whatever your view, and stance, please 2020 and what policies we want to in this year’s General Election, make your vote.’ support. ELECTION 2020 KETE KUPU ISSUE 56, OCTOBER 2020 3 Election 2020 resources CREDIT: ELECTORAL COMMISSION Talking Cents September 2020 Talking Cents is an ecumenical group a framework to guide the develop- community governance by defining that shape the way we manage our charged by the Auckland Anglican ment of a short, medium and long- us from a non-Māori perspective. public life. The picture overall is not Salvation Army – Diocesan Council to promote an alter- term future, post Covid-19, one that The obvious results are usually pre- flattering. However, it provides us Voting, your part in the native to current economic and political we could all be proud of. sented as Māori failure rather than a with a useful overview of how well thought and to encourage debate within Our settler history shows endur- failure of the system.2 we are doing at present. It also pro- future of our country the church. People are encouraged to ing links with key western world- The highly contentious ‘full and vides a platform for transformative The Salvation Army is calling distribute these articles widely. This view values that focus on individual final settlement’ dimension of the change, a base on which we can cre- on everyone to be active citi- contribution is from Anton Spelman achievement in the way we structure current Treaty of Waitangi settle- ate a better future for a much wider zens in the 2020 Election and (Ngāti Hikairo) and Jean Brookes, both and operate our public life, and in the ment process highlights the unfin- range of New Zealanders than is the vote on Election Day, 17 October. parishioners of St Matthew-in-the-City way we measure and reward success. ished business that exists with re- case at present. A General Election 2020 Issues in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. There is, however, a strong egalitari- spect to constitutional change, i.e. Currently, individualistic values Booklet has been prepared by the an dimension within Pākehā culture securing the rangatiratanga rights are dominant, where the primary Holding it all together with Policy and Parliamentary Unit. that insists on the importance of of Māori alongside those of Tangata accountability is to ourselves and kindness Transformational change is the hope forging links across traditional bar- Tiriti in the future governance ar- our immediate whānau for the way 3 expressed in the Salvation Army’s We are in a highly pragmatic elec- riers rather than maintaining rigid rangements of the country.