The Hard Truth on Teacher Pay In NZ

Party: ACT

Date Received: 2025-08-22 17:30

HTML Version

Dear [Name],

Teachers are striking while kids are left behind to fend for themselves. Councils are playing world politics while pipes burst at home. Bureaucrats are trying to shut you out of your own coastline. And the media? They’re still deciding what you’re “allowed” to care about.

But while the opposition sulks and the gatekeepers sneer, ACT is getting on with the job. In Government, we’re fixing broken systems. On the ground, our local candidates are standing up for ratepayers. And together, we’re cutting through the noise to deliver real change.

So let's crack into it👇

Taking on the Media Gatekeepers

“Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.” That’s not just a cliché, it’s the reality we’re up against in the world today. Each week, our talented team at ACT pitches stories to the media: our wins, our policy announcements, our opposition to waste and madness in government. And each week we get the same response from the media: “not interested, sorry” … “it’s not really what our readers care about.”

Even this week, when ACT called out Tory Whanau and Wellington City Council, a journalist at The Post told us it was “barely a story.” That’s the reality! It’s not that the news isn’t there, it’s that gatekeepers are deciding for you what counts as news. Pointing out a mayor’s failures? Not a story. Exposing waste and incompetence? Not a story. This is why New Zealanders are losing faith in the media.

That’s why ACT is doing it differently. We’re cutting through with raw, unfiltered content – podcasts, livestreams, and behind-the-scenes access. When David joined Dom Harvey this week, thousands tuned in to hear the unfiltered truth about politics. And the reaction was overwhelming: Kiwis see how the mainstream media has tried to poison the well, and they’re sick of it.

This is the antidote to a media elite that thinks it gets to decide the story. It’s people-powered broadcasting. And it’s the future.

Share it. Spread it. Push back against the gatekeepers.

The Hard Truth on Teacher Pay

Here’s the thing nobody in the unions wants to admit: there’s only one pot of money. If teachers get a big fat pay rise, then nurses don’t. Or cops don’t. Or your taxes go up. Or the Government borrows more and your kids pay the bill.

This isn’t about whether teachers “deserve” more, it’s about simple maths. Everyone wants more, but when one group gets it, the next group lines up and demands the same. That’s how you end up with wage blowouts, higher inflation, higher interest rates, and less in your back pocket.

Politics is about choices. Do we reward the best teachers and cut the fat out of the bureaucracy, or do we let the unions hold the country to ransom with more strikes and more demands? And while they’re striking, students are heading into exam prep season – maybe remember why you became a teacher in the first place, and show up for the next generation who rely on you.

That’s why ACT supports the Government’s decision to hold teacher pay increases to 3% over three years. Teachers have already had a 14% bump in recent years, with more than 60% now earning over $100,000. The problem isn’t a lack of money, it’s a broken system.

Under compulsory union contracts, a teacher who goes the extra mile gets paid the same as one who just turns up. That’s not fair to the great teachers who inspire our kids every day.

ACT would fix this with our Teaching Excellence Reward Fund, giving principals and boards the power to reward their best teachers directly. Instead of wasting millions on Ministry of Education bureaucracy, we’d put it into classrooms where it makes a real difference.

If unions were serious about valuing teachers, they’d back reform that pays great teachers more, not more strikes.

Supplied by Andy Macdonald

Our Coastline Belongs to Everyone

South Wairarapa District Council tried to shut off access to Cape Palliser, a legal road that hunters, fishers, trampers, surfers, and locals have used for generations.

At a public meeting in Ngawi, when asked if they even had legal advice before launching this, the Council admitted: no.

“That’s staggering, and it tells you everything about how poorly thought through this proposal is,” says our ACT Local Government spokesperson Cameron Luxton.

The Mayor’s answer? That visitors can just use “alternative public routes.”

Locals say that means hours of climbing hills or crossing unsafe rocky tidal zones. It’s nonsense.

“The Council’s process has completely missed the mark. They’ve done the bare minimum in order to claim they’ve consulted, when it’s obvious the plan from the outset was to shut us out of land we have legal rights to access,” Luxton says.

Submissions may have closed this week, but this fight isn’t over. If councils think they can quietly lock Kiwis out of their own coastline, they’ll try it again. That’s why ACT is calling this out, and why we need your voice too.

When you see stitch-ups like this, don’t stay quiet. Push back. Speak up. Because if one council gets away with it, others will follow.

In the weeks to come, we’ll be showcasing some of the hard work our candidates are doing out on the campaign trail – Here's our candidate Ali Dahche for Howick Ward

Wellington City Council can you focus on pipes, not the Middle East

Wellington’s pipes are bursting, rates are climbing, and debt is out of control. So what did the City Council do this week? Ban investments in companies linked to Israel.

“Wellington councillors need to stop playing Model UN and start focusing on fixing pipes, cutting waste, and making rates affordable,” says ACT Local candidate Luke Kuggeleijn.

“In 2019 the council declared a ‘climate emergency’ and thought it would change the weather. Now they think they’ll change the Middle East. It’s farcical.”

Luke’s right. Foreign policy is the Government’s job. Councils need to fix pipes, not solve world peace. By politicising the city’s Disaster Resilience Fund, councillors are reducing returns on ratepayer investments. And when disaster strikes, less money will be available to rebuild.

As Luke says: “When disaster strikes, Wellingtonians don’t care about ESG virtue-signalling – they want money available to rebuild, fast.”

ACT Local is clear: councils should focus on the basics. Infrastructure. Services. Affordable rates. Not international grandstanding.

Putting Children First – Not Political Ideology

Karen Chhour has called out the Green Party’s latest demands as a dangerous throwback to the ideology that once caused serious harm to the very children Oranga Tamariki is meant to protect.

The Green Party’s new manifesto for children lists seven duties of care – and child protection is relegated to fifth.

Instead of prioritising safety, the Greens want "whānau and whakapapa" to come first. As Karen says:

“The Greens clearly do not understand, or care, that many young people’s trauma is from their whānau.”

Under Labour, this ideology led to children being taken from safe, loving homes because their caregivers weren’t the ‘right’ race. This is the mess Karen has been left to clean up, and it's why she repealed Section 7AA which put cultural safety ahead of real safety. As Karen says:

“My entire reason for entering politics was to ensure that another generation of children wasn’t failed by the system as I was, and I remain committed to putting the needs of young people above all else.”

Justice delayed is justice denied

Our courts are clogged, victims wait months or years for cases to be heard, and criminals use the backlogs to game the system.

That’s why our Associate Justice and Courts Minister Nicole McKee has announced reforms to expand the role of Community Magistrates.

“Community Magistrates play a valuable part in the District Court but are currently underutilised. By expanding their jurisdiction, we can reduce bottlenecks, ease pressure on judges, and improve court timeliness,” says McKee.

They’ll now be able to take guilty pleas, preside over more trials, and order pre-sentence reports. That means judges can focus on the serious stuff — while victims see justice delivered faster.

“This is about making the justice system more responsive and more efficient, especially for victims. Delays in court proceedings can retraumatise those affected by crime, and we are committed to delivering justice faster,” says McKee.

That’s ACT in government: cutting waste, fixing systems, delivering results.

Until Next Week

This week shows the contrast as clear as day. The Opposition and their mates in the media are busy playing politics, spinning stories, or ignoring them altogether. Councils are wasting time on vanity projects and international posturing.

Meanwhile, ACT is delivering real change. We’re standing up for property rights, fixing broken systems, protecting public access, and keeping councils accountable. We’re doing the work the others won’t.

That’s why we’re in Government. That’s why ACT matters. And that’s why, with your help, we’re going to keep winning the battles that shape New Zealand’s future.

👉 Say g'day at our next event

Thanks,

Team ACT

DONATE TODAY

[Name], if you like what we're doing, and wish to support us, please consider donating. As a grassroots movement, we rely on the support from Kiwis like you.

This email was sent to [Email]

You can update your email preferences here

Authorised by C Purves, Suite 2.5, 27 Gillies Avenue, Newmarket, Auckland 1023

Text Version

<https://www.act.org.nz/>Dear [Name], <https://action.act.org.nz/>
Teachers are striking while kids are left behind to fend for themselves. Councils are playing world politics while pipes burst at home. Bureaucrats are trying to shut you out of your own coastline. And the media? They’re still deciding what you’re “allowed” to care about.
But while the opposition sulks and the gatekeepers sneer, ACT is getting on with the job. In Government, we’re fixing broken systems. On the ground, our local candidates are standing up for ratepayers. And together, we’re cutting through the noise to deliver real change.
So let's crack into it👇
<https://youtu.be/RwE8VK8ZDH4 on the Media Gatekeepers
“Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.” That’s not just a cliché, it’s the reality we’re up against in the world today. Each week, our talented team at ACT pitches stories to the media: our wins, our policy announcements, our opposition to waste and madness in government. And each week we get the same response from the media: “not interested, sorry” … “it’s not really what our readers care about.”
Even this week, when ACT called out Tory Whanau and Wellington City Council, a journalist at The Post told us it was “barely a story.” That’s the reality! It’s not that the news isn’t there, it’s that gatekeepers are deciding for you what counts as news. Pointing out a mayor’s failures? Not a story. Exposing waste and incompetence? Not a story. This is why New Zealanders are losing faith in the media.
That’s why ACT is doing it differently. We’re cutting through with raw, unfiltered content – podcasts, livestreams, and behind-the-scenes access. When David joined Dom Harvey this week <https://youtu.be/RwE8VK8ZDH4 thousands tuned in to hear the unfiltered truth about politics. And the reaction was overwhelming: Kiwis see how the mainstream media has tried to poison the well, and they’re sick of it.
This is the antidote to a media elite that thinks it gets to decide the story. It’s people-powered broadcasting. And it’s the future. <https://youtu.be/RwE8VK8ZDH4
Share it. Spread it. Push back against the gatekeepers. <https://youtu.be/RwE8VK8ZDH4
<https://www.youtube.com/watch Hard Truth on Teacher Pay
Here’s the thing nobody in the unions wants to admit: there’s only one pot of money. If teachers get a big fat pay rise, then nurses don’t. Or cops don’t. Or your taxes go up. Or the Government borrows more and your kids pay the bill.
This isn’t about whether teachers “deserve” more, it’s about simple maths. Everyone wants more, but when one group gets it, the next group lines up and demands the same. That’s how you end up with wage blowouts, higher inflation, higher interest rates, and less in your back pocket.
Politics is about choices. Do we reward the best teachers and cut the fat out of the bureaucracy, or do we let the unions hold the country to ransom with more strikes and more demands? And while they’re striking, students are heading into exam prep season – maybe remember why you became a teacher in the first place, and show up for the next generation who rely on you.
That’s why ACT supports the Government’s decision to hold teacher pay increases to 3% over three years. Teachers have already had a 14% bump in recent years, with more than 60% now earning over $100,000. The problem isn’t a lack of money, it’s a broken system.
Under compulsory union contracts, a teacher who goes the extra mile gets paid the same as one who just turns up. That’s not fair to the great teachers who inspire our kids every day.
ACT would fix this with our Teaching Excellence Reward Fund, giving principals and boards the power to reward their best teachers directly. Instead of wasting millions on Ministry of Education bureaucracy, we’d put it into classrooms where it makes a real difference.
If unions were serious about valuing teachers, they’d back reform that pays great teachers more, not more strikes.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch by Andy Macdonald <https://www.instagram.com/nz.andy/>
Our Coastline Belongs to Everyone
South Wairarapa District Council tried to shut off access to Cape Palliser, a legal road that hunters, fishers, trampers, surfers, and locals have used for generations.
At a public meeting in Ngawi, when asked if they even had legal advice before launching this, the Council admitted: no.
“That’s staggering, and it tells you everything about how poorly thought through this proposal is,” says our ACT Local Government spokesperson Cameron Luxton.
The Mayor’s answer? That visitors can just use “alternative public routes.”
Locals say that means hours of climbing hills or crossing unsafe rocky tidal zones. It’s nonsense.
“The Council’s process has completely missed the mark. They’ve done the bare minimum in order to claim they’ve consulted, when it’s obvious the plan from the outset was to shut us out of land we have legal rights to access,” Luxton says.
Submissions may have closed this week, but this fight isn’t over. If councils think they can quietly lock Kiwis out of their own coastline, they’ll try it again. That’s why ACT is calling this out, and why we need your voice too.
When you see stitch-ups like this, don’t stay quiet. Push back. Speak up. Because if one council gets away with it, others will follow.
In the weeks to come, we’ll be showcasing some of the hard work our candidates are doing out on the campaign trail – Here's our candidate Ali Dahche for Howick Ward <https://www.actlocal.nz/alidahche>
Wellington City Council can you focus on pipes, not the Middle East
Wellington’s pipes are bursting, rates are climbing, and debt is out of control. So what did the City Council do this week? Ban investments in companies linked to Israel.
“Wellington councillors need to stop playing Model UN and start focusing on fixing pipes, cutting waste, and making rates affordable,” says ACT Local candidate Luke Kuggeleijn.
“In 2019 the council declared a ‘climate emergency’ and thought it would change the weather. Now they think they’ll change the Middle East. It’s farcical.”
Luke’s right. Foreign policy is the Government’s job. Councils need to fix pipes, not solve world peace. By politicising the city’s Disaster Resilience Fund, councillors are reducing returns on ratepayer investments. And when disaster strikes, less money will be available to rebuild.
As Luke says: “When disaster strikes, Wellingtonians don’t care about ESG virtue-signalling – they want money available to rebuild, fast.”
ACT Local is clear: councils should focus on the basics. Infrastructure. Services. Affordable rates. Not international grandstanding.
Putting Children First – Not Political Ideology
Karen Chhour has called out the Green Party’s latest demands as a dangerous throwback to the ideology that once caused serious harm to the very children Oranga Tamariki is meant to protect.
The Green Party’s new manifesto for children lists seven duties of care – and child protection is relegated to fifth.
Instead of prioritising safety, the Greens want "whānau and whakapapa" to come first. As Karen says:
“The Greens clearly do not understand, or care, that many young people’s trauma is from their whānau.”
Under Labour, this ideology led to children being taken from safe, loving homes because their caregivers weren’t the ‘right’ race. This is the mess Karen has been left to clean up, and it's why she repealed Section 7AA which put cultural safety ahead of real safety. As Karen says:
“My entire reason for entering politics was to ensure that another generation of children wasn’t failed by the system as I was, and I remain committed to putting the needs of young people above all else.”
Justice delayed is justice denied
Our courts are clogged, victims wait months or years for cases to be heard, and criminals use the backlogs to game the system.
That’s why our Associate Justice and Courts Minister Nicole McKee has announced reforms to expand the role of Community Magistrates.
“Community Magistrates play a valuable part in the District Court but are currently underutilised. By expanding their jurisdiction, we can reduce bottlenecks, ease pressure on judges, and improve court timeliness,” says McKee.
They’ll now be able to take guilty pleas, preside over more trials, and order pre-sentence reports. That means judges can focus on the serious stuff — while victims see justice delivered faster.
“This is about making the justice system more responsive and more efficient, especially for victims. Delays in court proceedings can retraumatise those affected by crime, and we are committed to delivering justice faster,” says McKee.
That’s ACT in government: cutting waste, fixing systems, delivering results.
Until Next Week
This week shows the contrast as clear as day. The Opposition and their mates in the media are busy playing politics, spinning stories, or ignoring them altogether. Councils are wasting time on vanity projects and international posturing.
Meanwhile, ACT is delivering real change. We’re standing up for property rights, fixing broken systems, protecting public access, and keeping councils accountable. We’re doing the work the others won’t.
That’s why we’re in Government. That’s why ACT matters. And that’s why, with your help, we’re going to keep winning the battles that shape New Zealand’s future.
👉 Say g'day at our next event <https://action.act.org.nz/events>
Thanks,
Team ACT
<https://www.act.org.nz/donate>DONATE TODAY <https://www.act.org.nz/donate>[Name], if you like what we're doing, and wish to support us, please consider donating. As a grassroots movement, we rely on the support from Kiwis like you.
This email was sent to [Email] <https://action.act.org.nz/unsubscribe>
You can update your email preferences here <https://action.act.org.nz/unsubscribe>
Authorised by C Purves, Suite 2.5, 27 Gillies Avenue, Newmarket, Auckland 1023