Aupito William Sio
MP for Māngere
Pacific Island Affairs
Interfaith Dialogue
Assoc. Foreign Affairs (Pacific Climate Change)
Assoc. Ethnic Communities

MEDIA STATEMENT

27 May 2017

Slim pickings for Pacific people in Budget

Pacific people will be bitterly disappointed that Budget 2017 has failed to deal with some of the biggest challenges facing our people, says Pacific Islands Affairs Spokesperson Aupito William Sio.

“There isn’t anything that Pacific people can really celebrate. There’s no new Pacific ideas, but instead a $50,000 cut to the ASB Polyfest, nothing to support Pacific languages and Pacific bilingual education, or the work of Pasifika Education Centre whose board will now be disestablished come 1st July 2017.

“Significantly, Pacific wasn’t mentioned once in Minister Joyce’s 40 minute speech.

“Pacific people are crying out for help to fix the housing crisis. But the increases to the accommodation supplement are short-term fixes that don't address the root cause. – we need more affordable and social housing. It’s not right that people are living in garages and cars.

“The Budget has failed to deliver even enough for health services to stand still. District Health Boards this year needed at least $650 million to stand still but they are over $200 million short of what they need.

“This means the experience my family recently went through with our 79 year old father requiring an ambulance didn’t get one; and then waiting for hours at an Emergency & Accident centre, before he was seen by a doctor, will continue to plague many other people in our communities.

“The Government’s tax cuts are just election bribes. The reality for the Pacific community is that these proposals largely favour the high income earners. The 500,000 low income workers currently getting the Independent Earners’ Tax Credit lose that $10 a week, and are left with just an extra dollar a week.

“After nine years in government, National has failed miserably to deliver for Pacific people, especially in health, housing and education. It’s run out of ideas. It’s time for a fresh approach and Labour’s plan to restore our social foundations and build a fairer New Zealand,” says Aupito William Sio.

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