A Stronger Voice for Children

Party: ACT

Date Received: 2025-09-21 18:27

HTML Version

Dear [Name],

Whether it's in the debating chamber or in the engine room behind the scenes, ACT's MPs are focused on fixing what matters.

This week youth crime has fallen, practical laws have passed to keep children safe and counter climate-driven forestry conversions, and Auckland University has been forced to revisit its compulsory Treaty Course.

Let's crack into it.

Safer Communities as Youth Crime Plummets

Minister for Children Karen Chhour has confirmed a strong reduction in serious and persistent youth crime. Offending has been dropping month-on-month since June 2024, a remarkable turnaround for what was once a national crisis.

“As I tour the country, I am consistently hearing that communities are feeling safer.” – Karen Chhour, Minister for Children

Compared to June 2023, serious youth offending is down 14.6 per cent. Ram raids are down and repeat offending is falling.

Karen has taken a tough but fair approach to youth crime, making sure there are consequences for bad behaviour while also providing the wrap-around needed to prevent these young people becoming repeat offenders.

Innovative initiatives like the Military-Style Academies and greater collaboration between Oranga Tamariki and Police are getting results. Young people know different agencies are working together and they know Labour's 'catch-and-release' policy is no more.

This is a significant step in the right direction and we expect this trend to continue. It means safer communities where you and your property are less at risk from crime.

Bill Passed to Limit Forestry Conversions

Kiwis have spent six years watching prime farmland converted to forestry, supposedly to save the planet. Now, we've taken action.

This week, the Government passed a bill to counter climate-driven forestry conversions.

Rural New Zealand raised significant concerns about what was happening to their communities as more and more productive farms were converted to carbon forestry.

We have reduced the artificial incentive in the emissions trading scheme that encourages mass forestry conversions so our world-leading farmers can continue to produce food and rural schools and businesses remain open.

A built-in 2028 review will ensure the law is working as intended.

We can be as pious as we like on the world stage, but if the cost is shuttered farms and higher food prices, it’s not worth it.

Keeping Children Safe from Abuse and Exploitation

Sometimes government has to move fast. This week it did, thanks to ACT’s Nicole McKee.

Nicole introduced a bill to the House this week to immediately and temporarily suspend New Zealand’s recognition of unsafe overseas adoptions for citizenship and immigration purposes.

There is evidence that our international adoption laws do not provide sufficient safeguards for children and young people.

“We know, for example, about instances in which people with known care and protection histories, or previous convictions for violence or sexual abuse, have been able to adopt overseas. They have then been able to bring those children and young people back to New Zealand where they have been neglected, abused, or exploited.” – Nicole McKee

This abuse is preventable, and we acted decisively to prevent future harm to children adopted overseas into unsafe situations.

The new law, passed under urgency to prevent any further harm, suspends recognition of unsafe overseas adoptions. Safe countries are exempt, and international surrogacy remains unaffected.

Labour ignored the problem. ACT fixed it. Because protecting kids comes before everything else.

Education, not Indoctrination

The University of Auckland has forced 8,000 students to take a compulsory Treaty course, charged some of them nearly six grand for it, while taxpayers also stumped up $14 million.

Student feedback confirms what ACT has been saying all along: the course is seen by many as politically loaded and irrelevant, particularly for those in specialist programmes.

Following pressure from students and ACT, the University's Senate met on Monday to consider whether the controversial Waipapa Taumata Rau course should become optional, and will report advice to the university Council for consideration next month.

ACT Tertiary Education spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar is now calling on the University Council to show respect for student choice by acting on this advice.

"No student should be compelled to pay thousands of dollars for a course they don’t want or need." - Dr Parmjeet Parmar.

This revisit is good news for students who simply want a good education, not indoctrination. Now we need the University Council to follow through. To ensure they do, make sure you sign our petition here.

In the weeks to come, we’ll be showcasing some of the hard work our candidates are doing out on the campaign trail – Here are our Hamilton City candidates Nidhita Gosai & Preet Dhaliwal.

Until Next Week

ACT's advocacy looks to be giving students more choice, rural communities are being shielded from afforestation, children are being protected while communities are getting safer.

This is what it looks like when a party is fixing what matters.

Spread the word. Every conversation counts. Because the more ACT delivers, the better this country gets.

👉 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.

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Text Version

<https://www.act.org.nz/>Dear [Name], <https://action.act.org.nz/>
Whether it's in the debating chamber or in the engine room behind the scenes, ACT's MPs are focused on fixing what matters.
This week youth crime has fallen, practical laws have passed to keep children safe and counter climate-driven forestry conversions, and Auckland University has been forced to revisit its compulsory Treaty Course.
Let's crack into it.
<https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/karen-chhour-childrens-minister-on-the-reduction-in-serious-and-persistent-youth-offending/>Safer Communities as Youth Crime Plummets
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has confirmed a strong reduction in serious and persistent youth crime. Offending has been dropping month-on-month since June 2024, a remarkable turnaround for what was once a national crisis.
“As I tour the country, I am consistently hearing that communities are feeling safer.” – Karen Chhour, Minister for Children
Compared to June 2023, serious youth offending is down 14.6 per cent. Ram raids are down and repeat offending is falling.
Karen has taken a tough but fair approach to youth crime, making sure there are consequences for bad behaviour while also providing the wrap-around needed to prevent these young people becoming repeat offenders.
Innovative initiatives like the Military-Style Academies and greater collaboration between Oranga Tamariki and Police are getting results. Young people know different agencies are working together and they know Labour's 'catch-and-release' policy is no more.
This is a significant step in the right direction and we expect this trend to continue. It means safer communities where you and your property are less at risk from crime.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch Passed to Limit Forestry Conversions
Kiwis have spent six years watching prime farmland converted to forestry, supposedly to save the planet. Now, we've taken action.
This week, the Government passed a bill to counter climate-driven forestry conversions.
Rural New Zealand raised significant concerns about what was happening to their communities as more and more productive farms were converted to carbon forestry.
We have reduced the artificial incentive in the emissions trading scheme that encourages mass forestry conversions so our world-leading farmers can continue to produce food and rural schools and businesses remain open.
A built-in 2028 review will ensure the law is working as intended.
We can be as pious as we like on the world stage, but if the cost is shuttered farms and higher food prices, it’s not worth it.
<https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/barry-soper-newstalk-zb-senior-political-correspondent-on-the-government-introducing-the-adoption-amendment-bill-under-urgency/>Keeping Children Safe from Abuse and Exploitation
Sometimes government has to move fast. This week it did, thanks to ACT’s Nicole McKee.
Nicole introduced a bill to the House this week to immediately and temporarily suspend New Zealand’s recognition of unsafe overseas adoptions for citizenship and immigration purposes.
There is evidence that our international adoption laws do not provide sufficient safeguards for children and young people.
“We know, for example, about instances in which people with known care and protection histories, or previous convictions for violence or sexual abuse, have been able to adopt overseas. They have then been able to bring those children and young people back to New Zealand where they have been neglected, abused, or exploited.” – Nicole McKee
This abuse is preventable, and we acted decisively to prevent future harm to children adopted overseas into unsafe situations.
The new law, passed under urgency to prevent any further harm, suspends recognition of unsafe overseas adoptions. Safe countries are exempt, and international surrogacy remains unaffected.
Labour ignored the problem. ACT fixed it. Because protecting kids comes before everything else.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch not Indoctrination
The University of Auckland has forced 8,000 students to take a compulsory Treaty course, charged some of them nearly six grand for it, while taxpayers also stumped up $14 million.
Student feedback confirms what ACT has been saying all along <https://www.act.org.nz/news/unis-compulsory-treaty-courses-damage-learning-experience>: the course is seen by many as politically loaded and irrelevant, particularly for those in specialist programmes.
Following pressure from students and ACT, the University's Senate met on Monday to consider whether the controversial Waipapa Taumata Rau course should become optional, and will report advice to the university Council for consideration next month.
ACT Tertiary Education spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar is now calling on the University Council to show respect for student choice by acting on this advice.
"No student should be compelled to pay thousands of dollars for a course they don’t want or need." - Dr Parmjeet Parmar.
This revisit is good news for students who simply want a good education, not indoctrination. Now we need the University Council to follow through. To ensure they do, make sure you sign our petition here. <https://action.act.org.nz/no-mandatory-treaty-course>
In the weeks to come, we’ll be showcasing some of the hard work our candidates are doing out on the campaign trail – Here are our Hamilton City candidates <https://www.actlocal.nz/hamilton_city_i_nidhita_gosai_i_western_i_preet_dhaliwal_i_eastern>Nidhita Gosai & Preet Dhaliwal. <https://www.actlocal.nz/hamilton_city_i_nidhita_gosai_i_western_i_preet_dhaliwal_i_eastern>
Until Next Week
ACT's advocacy looks to be giving students more choice, rural communities are being shielded from afforestation, children are being protected while communities are getting safer.
This is what it looks like when a party is fixing what matters.
Spread the word. Every conversation counts. Because the more ACT delivers, the better this country gets.
👉 Say g'day at our next event <https://action.act.org.nz/events>
Thanks,
Team ACT
<https://action.act.org.nz/donate>DONATE TODAY <https://action.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