Auckland to ask for commitments to Living Wage and State Housing at forum tonight

Tonight, 500 Auckland residents from community groups, churches, unions and the education sector will gather at St Anne’s Church in Manurewa to tell candidates from the major political parties that they want commitments to deliver the Living Wage to workers in core government services, both directly employed and contracted, and to build new state housing and emergency housing units in South Auckland.

Ministry of Justice contract cleaner Malia from Manukau says, “I need to save money so I can send my son to university. He loves rugby and I dream of him being another Jonah Lomu, but on $16.10 an hour I don’t see how I am going to be able to do that.”

Malia says, “I am living with my in-laws at the moment and am grateful I have that option, but having our own home is a dream for my family.”

Annie Newman from the Living Wage Movement Aotearoa says, “Tonight the candidates will be asked to make commitments to housing and wages and if they deliver, it will make a real difference to the lives of thousands of kiwis.

“We are asking election candidates to commit to decent wages for all government workers and 500 new state houses a year in South Auckland.

“Workers paid by the state, living on poverty wages, is morally repugnant and I don’t think any tax payer really accepts that’s OK. Nor do they accept that people on decent wages should be living in cars because we are in the midst of a housing crisis,” Annie says.

“We want a Government committed to changing this situation.

“On the day that the Deloitte’s survey of BusinessNZ members says that 44% of business respondents support the principle of paying the Living Wage, and that 91% of those would implement it in the near future, we know this is an idea whose time has come.”

The forum will take place at St Anne’s Catholic Church, 126 Russell Rd, Manurewa, at 6.30-8.00pm tonight.

The questions that will be asked:

Housing:

• Will you and your party commit to establishing an additional 200 units in South Auckland, dedicated to emergency housing in the next term of Government?

• Will you and your party establish an advisory group within three months of the election involving members of the community and the Government?

Living Wage:

• Will you support and promote the Living Wage being implemented for all those employed in the core public service within 12 months of the new Government being formed?

ENDS

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