June burst of hope

💰 Economics for the People! 💰

Banner reading: Economics for the People: A webinar on our economy and how we got here with a drawing of a cash note on fire.

It’s time for an economy that looks after all of us! Last month we ran an introductory webinar explaining how our economy works, featuring speakers Jane Kelsey, Matt Scobie and Max Harris. Over 1000 people signed up and we had to upsize our event to cater to everyone.

You can watch the recording of the webinar here.

We also launched our campaign to increase tax on corporate profit. Right now, our public services are struggling while corporations like supermarkets and banks rake in huge profits. We are calling on the Government to rein in corporate profit, and put more tax revenue back into the collective pool, where we desperately need it.

4000 people signed on to support the campaign in just a few days. But we need to do more to elevate the issue, so sign your support here and share around your networks.

🏥 $5 prescription fees dropped! 🏥

Newspaper cut out style image with a 1News headline: Budget 2023: $5 prescription charge axed

Everybody should have the healthcare and medicine they need to be well and thrive. So we’re excited to see the Labour Government announce that prescription fees will be dropped in the most recent Budget.

You might remember hearing from community leader, Debbie Leyland, last year on this issue. She started a petition with United Community Action Network, Child Poverty Action Group and Wellington-based GP Nikki Turner, to remove all prescription charges for community services card holders. So we’d like to give a huge thank you to the 2000 ActionStation members who got in behind this call and helped get the issue over the line.

🎉 Win for Feilding community and the climate 🎉

Campaign logo saying ‘Regeneration not incineration’ with a hand drawn image of a large tree with birds in it, sitting next to a pyrolysis plant polluting the air with thick, dark fumes. A dead bird sits next to it.

People in Feilding are deservedly relieved after a fierce campaign by the community saw Bioplant NZ withdraw its consent application for the proposed waste-to-energy pyrolysis incinerator (burning rubbish to fuel power generation). So far, Aotearoa has no waste-to-energy incineration, but smaller councils are being targeted across the country. We want to continue the fight against the burning of mixed municipal solid waste because modern incinerators still can’t offer solid guarantees that toxins, pollutants and heavy metals won’t end up in the air, on the land or in the water table of nearby communities.

Next up is Waipā! You can support their local campaign here, and if you’d like to learn more about the dangers of waste-to-energy incineration, check our this handy guide.

💝 The gift that keeps giving! 💝

MyGivingCircle Pink Facebook Banner, voting boxes on left, photo of four people in volunteer shirts with the caption ‘We’re giving $500K to Charities.’

Organisations like ours need solid tech systems to help us make political change. Unfortunately our main tech system, built by committed volunteers, is now being ‘sunsetted.’ This means we need a massive upgrade this year, which is nerve-rackingly expensive.

So we’re trying out new ways to fundraise. We recently signed up for MyGivingCircle, which gives away money to not-for-profits based on people’s votes.

Thanks to all of you, we’ve already reached 6000 (!) votes, and we hope to get a share of their next giveaway. If we reach the number one spot, we receive $10,000, which would make a huge difference towards our tech upgrade. You get one vote each week, and it only takes a couple of minutes of your time. Help us get more votes before June 30!

And if you’d like to donate directly to our tech upgrade, you can do so here.

That’s it for June’s burst. Stay warm and well this winter!