Kia ora
John,
After
pausing our election activities due to the re-emergence of COVID-19,
today, we officially kicked our 2020 campaign back off with a uniquely
New Zealand announcement.
On her first day back on the road,
Jacinda Ardern pledged that if re-elected this October, Labour would
make Matariki New Zealand’s 12th public holiday:
"As I've travelled around New Zealand I've heard the calls for Matariki to become a public holiday - its time has come. It will also be a confidence boost that many sectors need right now. Matariki will be a distinctly New Zealand holiday and a time for reflection, celebration, and to look to the future as we take increasing pride in our unique national identity.”
Matariki heralds the start of the Māori New Year and making it a public holiday will give people an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of our country’s history, stories and traditions. Falling in mid-winter, it will also provide a real opportunity for us to boost tourism in New Zealand during a typically quiet period for the industry.
We know that due to COVID-19 many in the sector are struggling, but by bringing in this holiday in 2022 it will give businesses time to recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and prepare for the future as people start to plan for their mid-winter getaways.
As New Zealanders, we are proud of who we are, what we stand for and the way we weave together different worlds and cultures to create our unique national identity, and we’re excited to be able to share this important holiday with the rest of the world in years to come.
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Make sure to keep an eye on your inbox for more important campaign
announcements from Jacinda and the team this week!
Ngā mihi,
Labour Campaigns Team
P.S. If you want to read more about today's announcement, you can head over to our blog.
A short note on donations:
We have a plan to keep New Zealand moving, and it’s already underway. But to keep rolling out that plan beyond October's election, Labour needs to win enough seats to be able to return to government.
John, we’re proud to be a truly people-powered Party, and it’s only because of the generosity of thousands of supporters like you chipping in what you can that we’re going to be able to run a winning campaign.
If you can, please click the button below to make a donation to our campaign fund today so together, we can keep New Zealand moving.
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