New Zealand goes to the polls on Saturday 14 October. Whichever party wins, what will they do to help disabled people and their families? We asked each of the main political parties a series of questions and got the following responses. We also profile each party’s disability spokesperson below to see what experience and understanding each of them has of living with a disability.
Disclaimer: Without Limits is a non-profit publication. As such, due to our limited resourcing we only reached out to the "main" political parties, being those that have the largest media presence (i.e., we did not reach out to every registered political party).
In the lead up to New Zealand's general election on 14 October 2023, we have prepared a handy repository to help inform you of each political parties' disability policy. We reached out to the political parties, and received responses from the following:
Labour | Greens | National | TOP | Act |
For completeness, we also reached out to Te Pāti Māori | The Māori Party who redirected us to its Mana Haua Policy on its website.
We asked each political party the following series of questions. Click on each question below to read to see each parties' responses:
1. How will a government that your party leads or is a part of help disabled people and their families?
NB: click the left-adjacent arrow to the party name to see their response to the question.
Labour
Greens
National
TOP
Act
2. Will a government that your party leads or is a part of increase the quote of accessible housing that Kāinga Ora provides to disabled people?
NB: click the left-adjacent arrow to the party name to see their response to the question.
Labour
Greens
National
TOP
Act
3. Will a government that your party leads or is a part of continue to support Whaikaha | Ministry of Disabled People?
NB: click the left-adjacent arrow to the party name to see their response to the question.
Labour
Greens
National
TOP
Act
4. How will a government that your party leads or is a part of help disabled beneficiaries with the added costs of living with a disability?
NB: click the left-adjacent arrow to the party name to see their response to the question.
Labour
Greens
National
TOP
Act
5. What will a government that your party leads or is a part of do to help parents of disabled children receive the resources needed to help their children receive a good education in a school of their choosing?
NB: click the left-adjacent arrow to the party name to see their response to the question.
Labour
Greens
National
TOP
Act
So you've read about the "wheel spin"of policies above, and you may be wondering who is the face fronting each policy? Well, we are delighted to introduce you to these dedicated individuals below (in no particular order).
Labour: Priyanca Radhakrishnan
You may recall our earlier article in which we introduced Minister Radhakrishnan as Minister for Disability Issues, among other Ministerial portfolios.
“I strongly believe that everyone should have the opportunity to live with dignity – that means having equitable access to safe and affordable housing, quality education and healthcare and decent, secure work.
As the Minister and Labour’s Spokesperson for Disability Issues, I advocate strongly to lift wellbeing outcomes for disabled people and the sector that supports them. It is important that the voices and experiences of the disabled community are heard in Parliament and that they’re supported to thrive.
I strongly believe that everyone should have the opportunity to live with dignity – that means having equitable access to safe and affordable housing, quality education and healthcare and decent, secure work.
I have met with many disabled New Zealanders and support organisations across Aotearoa to better understand their aspirations and concerns. I am on a journey to learn New Zealand Sign Language and have also answered a question in the House in sign – I understand that’s the first time it has been done in the New Zealand Parliament.
Politics is about choices. I believe that decision-making should be community-led and should lead to better outcomes for everyone, not just the privileged few. As such, the motto ‘nothing about us without us’ is one that will continue to guide my advocacy and the decisions I make.
I also hold Ministerial portfolios for the Community and Voluntary Sector, and for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities. I am also the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment, and Workplace Relations and Safety."
Greens: Jan Logie
Jan worked for Women’s Refuge, the New Zealand University Students’ Association, the YWCA and numerous other social causes before entering Parliament in 2011. She also has a proud history as a volunteer - for Youthline, HELP Sexual Abuse Crisis Line, Wellington Rape Crisis Board and others.
Combining her big picture thinking with her experience of helping individuals personally gives Jan a uniquely caring and practical political perspective.
In Parliament she has been a champion for people and families affected by domestic and sexual violence. She initiated a select committee inquiry into funding for specialist sexual abuse and social services, and her Workplace Protection Bill is designed to protect victims and reduce the significant economic impact of domestic violence.
Jan wants to see the way we practice politics change to strengthen faith in our democracy. She believes that public engagement and greater transparency are central to trust in both the system and our politicians.
As under-secretary to the Minister of Justice, Jan stewarded through changes to the Family Violence Act to improve its responsiveness to the needs of disabled people. She also secured funding for disabled communities to start developing tailored prevention initiatives. As the Green Party disability spokesperson, she has worked with the inclusive Greens to ensure disabled people helped set her priorities and supported all Green MPs to integrate a disability lens into their work programmes. She campaigned, with disabled people and their organisations, for more accessible housing and accessibility legislation that would deliver on disabled people’s human rights.
National: Maureen Pugh
Prior to her time in Parliament, Maureen was a councillor and the Mayor of Westland.
Through that role in local government, she encountered people with diverse disabilities and listened to their concerns and comments.
...she is in close contact with organisations throughout the country to learn more about the barriers and difficulties the sector is facing.
Now that she is the spokesperson for Disability and Carers, she is in close contact with organisations throughout the country to learn more about the barriers and difficulties the sector is facing.
TOP: Jessica Hammond
Jessica is a public servant who has worked on issues ranging from transport infrastructure
funding, to health and disability legislation, to Māori economic development. She has a Masters Degree in Philosophy from Victoria University of Wellington. She has two children and is standing for The Opportunities Party (TOP) in the Ōhāriu electorate because she wants to take action for those who can't vote: children, future generations, and other species that also have a stake in this country.
Jessica has lived experience of an invisible disability, as a support person for disabled parents and as a parent of children with complex health needs.
Jessica wants to help build a society where all people have the opportunity, and the support they need, to participate in ways that meet their needs and goals.
Act: Toni Severin
Toni was diagnosed with Dyslexia when she was 21. While Toni sees herself as having a learning difficulty rather than a disability, she understands how some people experience adversity and require additional support in life. Toni is also a godmother to a down-syndrome teenager who she wants to see have the best opportunities in life.
Toni has been working closely with the disability community to develop a better approach for the community. She believes having more regular and accurate data will be able to inform better outcomes for the community. This means a more regular survey than the current ten-year disability survey, and further implementing services like Snap Send Solve in Christchurch, a register that records barriers for the disability community so they can be recorded and fixed.
While Toni sees herself as having a learning difficulty rather than a disability, she understands how some people experience adversity and require additional support in life.
ACT has also advocated for the Government to make changes to the Accessibility Bill more in line with what has worked overseas and supports the Ministry of Disabled People to educate New Zealanders around accessibility dogs and other barriers within the disability community.
Most of all ACT’s vision is to ensure New Zealand is accessible to people with a diverse range of disabilities, and that we provide every opportunity for individuals to be a part of society.
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