Bored? I've got something for you!

Bored? Got 10 minutes to help your community? Perfect - I’ve got you! Here are a handful of things you can do to support your neighbours and vulnerable groups.

Some actions take just a few minutes, others might need around 10 minutes. Save this page and come back to it if you don’t have time.

I know it feels like we can’t make a difference - but we really can. We can make a difference and we are making a difference. I believe in us!

*It’s not really fun but that’s as close to clickbait as I get.

I have brain fog so please excuse typos!

What is happening? Covid-19 remains NZ’s most important infectious disease. The successful elimination strategy we had in place kept case numbers low for the first two years after the initial outbreak. What followed was three years of widespread transmission with mitigation measures aiming to reduce the harms to population health. Although hospitalisations and deaths have declined substantially, Māori and Pacific peoples face disproportionate impacts, and Long Covid is an increasing health and economic burden.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned – Phase Two consultation is underway. This inquiry will shape how we treat Covid in the future but also future pandemics. It’s being set up as a way to attack Jacinda Ardern and the initial government response to Covid 19 that saved countless lives. If we don’t take part, we’re leaving future responses to the most unhinged anti-vaxx cookers in our country.

Where can I read more?

• New Zealand's Covid-19 response saved 20000 lives
• Aotearoa Covid Action tips for submissions
• The impact of Covid-19 vaccination in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Many lives saved by NZ pandemic response

What can I do? Submissions close for phase two on 27 April 2025. Please make a submission now. Make it personal. I talked about my family, what it meant to us that our child wasn’t considered expendable. I talked about how important it was to have free RATS and masks because of the cost involved. I talked about how important it was to access vaccines and have as much information as possible to keep my family safe. I talked about my gratitude for lockdowns and flattening the curve so we didn’t have morgues in the street.

What is happening? On March 18, 2025, disabled people and their families marked one year since the government began disrupting, removing and restricting supports for disabled tamariki and adults. It also marks one year since former minister Penny Simmonds falsely claimed in Parliament that parents and carers of disabled tamariki were misusing disability support funding.

Her repeated public accusations were an attack on a vulnerable community. Her words caused families and carers shame, distress, and trauma.

Where can I read more?

• One year on - it's time to acknowledge the pain and harm to our community.
• March 18th: One year since our lives became smaller
• One year ago our lives were different - Parents and loved ones of disabled tamariki and adults speak out
• The real impact of funding changes to respite care

What can I do? We are almost at 10,000 signatures. Once we’re at 10,000 we can table the petition in Parliament. Sign the open letter here. Please share the open letter with friends and family - even if you just send it to one person and ask them to sign it helps so much.

What is happening? Instead of focusing on the cost of living crisis, the crumbling health system, gaps in education, increasing food insecurity, housing affordability, support for disabled people…the coalition government is just obsessed with dismantling Te Tiriti, attacking trans women and…increasing speed limits? It’s all pointless but anyway, they’re increasing speed limits because they can’t handle that Labour decreased speed limits. That’s the only reason and so people will die because they want to roll back anything Labour did. Good lord, we are ruled by the biggest morons imaginable.

Where can I read more?

• A retired anaesthetist on the difference between a crash at 80km/h and 100km/h
• ‘I’m worried some kid is gonna die’: Auckland suburb pushing back on speed limit reversals
• ‘Unjust and unethical’: The scrap over speed reductions, explained

What can I do to help? Around Aotearoa, communities are fighting back. Julie Anne Genter has been vocal in Rongotai representing us. I care about this deeply because the increase is around my child’s school and he scoots to school. I am very worried kids will be killed. You can sign the petition here - even if you don’t live in Rongotai.

Here are the consultations across the motu Te Tai Tokerau – Northland, Tāmaki Makaurau – Auckland, Waikato, Te Moana a Toi-te-Huatahi – Bay of Plenty, Tāirawhiti - Gisborne, Te Matau-a-Māui – Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Manawatū – Whanganui, Top of the South Island, Waitaha - Canterbury, Southland.

What is happening: Winston Peters and the coalition government are continuing their dog whistling about trans and LGBTQIA+ people. Their latest attack is on consent and relationships education. The draft Relationships and Sexuality Education framework as it stands, is deeply flawed. It excludes critical representation of our trans, non-binary, Māori and Pasifika communities, introduces new and poorly defined concepts, and delays teaching essential information to young people until too late.

Where can I read more?

• Pacific scholars say government out of step with relationships and sexuality education
• “The previous version was more comprehensive” – Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa
• 75% of rangatahi feel they did not receive comprehensive relationship and sexuality education
• Relationships and sexuality education draft causing concern
• Let’s talk about it: Review of relationships and sexuality education – Education Review Office
• International technical guidance on sexuality education: an evidence-informed approach – UNESCO

What can I do? Make an urgent submission on the draft Relationship and Sexuality Education Framework today – before submissions close 9 May 2025. We must act quickly to ensure diverse communities are reflected in the future mandatory Health curriculum. The best way to do this is by filling out the Ministry of Education’s feedback form. Here’s a guide for submissions. There’s advice on how to answer questions - but it’s super easy.

What’s most important to say is that we believe that all young people deserve a high-quality, age-appropriate curriculum that values inclusion. That includes ensuring relationships and sexuality education is inclusive of the unique experiences of ALL ākonga, including trans young people.

Finally: Convoys of Good are on a mission to alleviate poverty from Aotearoa to the rest of the world. They’re currently running an appeal for Gaza - 01-0171-0633646-00 reference: Gaza appeal. I’ve also set up a mutual aid fund going to vetted Givealittle campaigns after people told me they hated ‘picking’ families. I can deeply relate. But through this mutual aid fund we have been able to support eight families in Gaza with your donations. I’m in contact with these families and they’re incredible grateful for support from Aotearoa. This is not a registered charity it’s a mutual aid fund. That account is 38-9004-0845765-05. I post receipts on my Instagram page.

Thank you so much for helping me to do this mahi. I can only do it thanks to paid subscribers and I’m so incredibly grateful for you.