Column by Hon Barbara Edmonds, MP for Mana.
We’re now another month into the year, and this National Government is still making life harder for our community. From rising unemployment to disgraceful school lunches and now no clear plan for our inter-island ferry services—it’s clear their priorities are all wrong.
Last week, our Labour team announced our priorities for 2026, and I’m proud to be part of a team that is focused on delivering secure jobs, a strong public health system, and affordable homes. While National continues to make life harder for our communities, we’re working on real solutions to ensure every Kiwi has the opportunity to thrive.
I am also proud to be taking on the responsibility of leading our economic team. With the portfolios of Finance & Economy and Savings & Investment, alongside my colleagues Ginny Andersen, Peeni Henare, Reuben Davidson, and Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, we will ensure we are delivering an economy that uplifts our people.
Right now, hundreds of people are applying for the same jobs as mills and meatworks shut down across the country. Hundreds of school lunch jobs have been lost, frontline charities are facing funding cuts, and more Kiwis than ever are leaving for Australia in search of better opportunities. The numbers don’t lie—33,000 more people are unemployed under this Government, and it’s only getting harder for those still in work. The minimum wage has failed to keep up with the cost of living for two years in a row, making it even tougher for families to put food on the table.
Māori and Pasifika communities are being hit the hardest, with unemployment reaching 9.7% and 10.5% respectively. It’s devastating, yet National’s policies continue to push people further into hardship.
Many parents in our community have seen firsthand how National’s changes to the healthy school lunches programme have failed our kids. Parents and teachers have spoken out about inedible meals, late deliveries, melted plastic contaminating food, and mislabelled packaging. A Cabinet Paper in March 2024 even warned that these changes would harm children’s wellbeing, nutrition, and education—but the Government pushed ahead anyway.
Despite this, our community is showing incredible resilience. Last week, I visited Porirua College, where their canteen still makes around 1,000 lunches a day for four local schools. They’ve worked hard to keep delivering nutritious, locally made meals instead of using the centralised model in Hamilton that David Seymour boasts about. But it’s come at a cost—three staff members made redundant, reduced portion sizes, and lower-quality meals for our kids.
Under Labour, we put children’s wellbeing at the heart of this programme. We saw real benefits in classrooms, with students more engaged and schools strongly backing the initiative. Now, National’s cuts are taking us backwards.
Nobody in our community should be left behind. If you’re concerned about these cuts or have a story to share, please email my team at [email protected]—we’d love to hear from you.