Organisations join call for harmful relationship rules to be scrapped
On Monday 25th of November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, ActionStation, Child
Poverty Action Group (CPAG), and Auckland Action Against Poverty (AAAP) will come together with people who have directly
experienced the impacts of the punitive Work and Income relationship rules, to launch an open letter calling on the
Prime Minister to change how relationships are treated within New Zealand’s welfare system.
Speakers at the launch, which is taking place at the Ellen Melville Centre in downtown Auckland, include Ricardo
Menendez March from AAAP and Associate Professor Susan St John from CPAG.
“It’s time for our Government to stop penalising couples by reducing their payments and putting extraordinary pressure
on new couples. Nobody should be forced to give up their financial independence, or become trapped in abusive
relationships because of government policy,” says Ruby Powell from ActionStation.
Other organisations who support this initiative and have already signed the open letter include the Aunties, HELP and Te
Kupenga National Network of Stopping Violence Services.
The open letter will be launched at the Ellen Melville Centre in Auckland, on Monday November 25th. Media are warmly
invited to attend.