In the lead up to the budget being released next week Auckland Action Against Poverty (AAAP) has planned a March down Ponsonby Road to ensure that people and families remain a priority for this Labour government.

“This March has been organised because we’re tired of waiting for the Labour government to fulfill their promise to transform the welfare system,” says AAAP spokesperson Brooke Pao Stanley.

“The communities we serve deserve to be valued and treated with dignity. They deserve to live and participate in society without being made to feel shame about their situation. The shame sits with a system that determines your worth based on paid employment.

“We’re clear about what we envision for ourselves and our communities - Liveable Incomes is essential to the future and well-being of the people and families in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“We want the Labour government to lift benefits to liveable levels, individualise benefits so that people aren’t punished for being in a relationship, end all obligations and sanctions, and free and universal public services.

“We want a welfare system that honours everyone’s existence. Liveable Incomes is everyone’s birthright.”

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