First it was border workers. For months Kiwis had been told by the National Government there would be no cuts to the front line, and then we found out some of the people who work to prevent drugs and pests coming into New Zealand were losing their jobs.
Then it was reading recovery teachers. The people who had been helping teach kids to read for 50 years, and in many cases much-loved specialist teachers who are now being forced into retirement.
Then the government stopped filling doctors and nursing roles. They made big claims saying they were investing properly in the health system, but instead they’re shrinking the workforce to cut costs and putting even more pressure on the system. GPs have been forced to put the price of seeing the doctor up just to cover costs.
We found out about reductions at the suicide prevention office, and jobs being disestablished in the teams that deal with child exploitation, anti-terrorism and online harm. At the same time, up to 190 frontline providers who work with vulnerable children, women and families have had their government funding stopped, and a further 142 have had their funding reduced.
It’s been reported this includes the North Shore Women’s centre, which has been providing care for women and children fleeing domestic violence for 37 years, will now run out of funding next year. Another is E Tipu E Rea, a Ngāti Pāoa whānau services provider which supports young families and helps prevent Oranga Tamariki uplifts, which reportedly came with no warning as it had been outperforming its targets set by the agency.
Even budgeting services are losing funding throughout the country, at the very time demand is high. Women’s support groups, like the one in Motueka that supports women suffering from domestic violence, reports being given just days of notice before their funding is cut back or cut completely.
The Government continues to claim frontline services would not be touched. Christopher Luxon said they would be “protected” and when Nicola Willis was asked time and time again if there would be any new cuts to frontline services, she said “I make that promise.”
But they haven’t kept that promise to the disabled community either, who lost access to many services like swimming lessons and respite for carers, when the government made the brash decision to restrict flexible funding.
National has since gutted Whaikaha, the Ministry of Disabled People – greatly diminishing its functions and stripping it of its main functions and resources.
They’ve also hit pause on the Enabling Good Lives programme, which was meant to give choice and control for disabled New Zealanders to lead dignified lives – a programme we made record investment in.
Disability communities fought hard for a Ministry that served them and advocated for their needs. I’m proud that a Labour Government met this call by establishing Whaikaha – a world-first. To now hollow it out, is a cruel decision from National.

What is absolutely clear not even a year into the Coalition Government, is the National Party has no plans to keep the promises it made to Kiwis about frontline services, and every plan to keep cutting them.