Tēna koutou e te whānau
Welcome to the special Election 2023 edition of Te Mahinga Ora. As polling day October 14 approaches we are proudly standing together for public and community services and the workers - you, our members - who deliver them. In this journal we set out the key issues you have told us matter to you and how you can talk to your whanau and your communities about using their vote to get the best result for Aotearoa.
The PSA is not affiliated to any political party and we have a proud 110 year history of seeking to work constructively with the government of the day for the benefit of our members. Our election agenda has been shaped by you, our members who work across the motu in thousands of departments, agencies, health services, councils, community and iwi providers, and non-government agencies. We have sought commitments from the political parties about their policies and their responses are summarised in the pull-out.
You can also find more detailed information, including the parties’ full responses to our policy questionnaire, on our Election 2023 microsite at www.standtogether2023.co.nz. On this site you can also sign our pledge to vote for excellent and universal public and community services. We will be adding resources to help you have conversations with workmates, whānau and friends, social media shareables, questions for local candidates meetings, advice on being active in the election campaign as a public servant, and more.
The delivery of public and community services often end up as part of political debate. This year though, it seems the attacks on public and community services and those that support and deliver them has become more direct and harsher. The work of PSA members is part of the political debate and the PSA, your union, has stepped up to counter the negative rhetoric and promote your great work and the difference your work makes.
Change is constant and we need to know that the government we elect will back community and public services. Recently the current government announced a savings drive which will be of concern to members, so it was very welcome to see that chief executives were instructed to work with PSA members to put proposals together which avoid job losses. Other progressive parties want to see a greater role for public and community services in the future.
Despite these challenges we enter this election in a great state. We recently recruited our 90,000th member and membership continues to grow. We have never had such a powerful voice and I urge you to use it to tell your friends and whānau how important it is to vote for parties who are committed to ensuing public and community services form a key plank in building a better, fairer and greener Aoteaora.
Naku iti noa, na
Benedict Ferguson (He/Him)
President Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi | PSA
