The Hardest Word

A year of harm inflicted upon disabled people and their whānau.

What've I gotta do to make you love me?
What've I gotta do to make you care?
What do I do when lightning strikes me?
And I wake up and find that you're not there

What've I gotta do to make you want me?
Mmm hmm, what've I gotta do to be heard?
What do I say when it's all over?
And sorry seems to be the hardest word

Songwriters: Elton John / Bernard Taupin.

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We have seen cruel governments in Aotearoa before; I especially think of Jenny Shipley and Ruth Richardson with their actions that hurt many vulnerable Kiwis, damaging lives and leaving many in my generation scarred.

This government appears inspired by that, as if it sees the Mother of All Budgets as something to replicate rather than something that should never be repeated. We know their views on Bottom Feeders; they don’t even pretend to hide them.

But there is greater cruelty still, things that make you look at the people involved and ask - do they seriously have the cheek to call themselves Christians?

Please note that I don’t care what religion you follow or whether you have one, none, or, I guess, many. It makes no difference to me; there are good and bad people in all walks of life.

Having said that, it does strike me as rather hypocritical to portray an image of yourself as one thing while the real you would get a knee in the bollocks and a one-way ticket south if you ever meet the bearded guy with the sandals.

If you ask - What would Jesus do? I’m guessing it’s not this:

Link to RNZ article.

“Health Minister Simeon Brown rejected advice from officials to lower the bowel screening age to 58 for the general population and 56 for Māori and Pacific people, just-released documents show.

According to projections, that means there will be 111 fewer prevented deaths from the disease for Māori and Pacific people over the next 25 years.”

I posted the article asking: Is there a way to interpret this other than Simeon Brown making an informed decision to let 111 people die early rather than being associated with something that could be seen as affirmative action and might lose them votes to ACT? May I suggest that young Mr. Brown choose a different church?

That was last week. While focusing on the government's never-ending avalanche of new awfulness, we mustn’t forget its past actions.

I saw the following article in my feed yesterday and thought, “Can it be a year?” It feels like just the other day, I wrote in horror about the cuts this government was making to funding for disabled people and their whānau. There has been so much since that it seems to all blur into one gigantic, erm… Marmite sandwich.

Sharing the piece, I said, “It’s hard to believe these cuts were made a year ago already. Hearing how people are impacted is worth reading; I recommend a tissue. Damn, I hate what this government is doing to our country. 😢”

One year ago our lives were different

So, has the government been cruel and callous or simply negligent? Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter; the effect is the same. But for the moment, let’s assume the latter, that this was simply a lack of care or oversight.

When an irresistible force, such as Nicola Willis demanding budget cuts so she can fill the gap left by reducing the tax burden on landlords by a few billion dollars, meets an easily movable object, we have problems—or, more specifically, those impacted do.

We have repeatedly seen ministers slash budgets without understanding the services that will be cut. When CEOs defund programmes because they no longer have the funds, the minister is aghast that they should consider doing such things despite their actions being the cause. And if they’re not even calculating which services will be impacted, they sure aren’t thinking about the individuals involved.

But that’s the best-case scenario here: negligent ignorance. The other alternative is that the government made an informed choice, as Simeon Brown did when opting to make changes that he was told would result in more than a hundred deaths, that they knew just what they were doing.

Either way, whether it's deliberate cruelty or incompetence, an apology is the very least that is needed. I’d be talking about resignations, but let’s not get carried away.

After I’d shared the newsletter above, Awhi Ngā Mātua director

Emily Writes

kindly sent me the open letter that is mentioned to share today. Here it is:

OPEN LETTER: Families of Disabled Adults, Children, Whānau Demand Apology from Government

New Zealand Coalition Government Urged to Acknowledge Harm and Begin the Healing Process

Nationwide, New Zealand – On the first anniversary of brutal cuts to support for disabled people - advocacy groups, family associations, and disability organisations are supporting disabled adults, disabled children, and their families and carers in calling on the Coalition Government to issue a formal apology to the disabled community.

March 18, 2025, marks one year since the government's drastic disruption, removal, and restriction of vital disability supports. This date also marks a year since former Minister Penny Simmonds falsely claimed in Parliament that parents and carers of disabled children were misusing disability support funding—an accusation that has caused immense harm to the community.

“We, the undersigned, urge the New Zealand Coalition Government to acknowledge and apologise for the harm inflicted upon disabled people and their families since March 18, 2024,” said the open letter, signed by a wide range of organisations and advocacy groups.

The letter calls for an official apology for the unfounded accusations, stating the unnecessary shame, distress, and trauma to parents and carers of disabled children. The letter further condemns the Coalition Government's actions, which have included a reduction in available support and resources for the disabled community, leading to lasting harm and uncertainty for families.

Image: BeFunky.

Awhi Ngā Mātua director Emily Writes says the letter was made by, and with, the disabled community including hundreds of families who have said they’ve been deeply traumatised by the actions of the government over the past year.

“The stories we have been hearing from parents and carers every week for the past year have been harrowing. They feel humiliated by the accusations made by the government and alarmed that despite those accusations being proved to be false - there has been no redress.

They’re hurting and have no support. Parents have told us that they have lost hope and they are afraid for the futures of their children. Aging parents who cannot get their child into residential care fear that their disabled child will be left alone, with no support.

Disabled adults have told us they feel hopeless as they try to grapple with cuts in support and the micro-management of their individualised funding. They don’t have faith in consultation because they feel this coalition government sees them only as a burden.

Over 600 stories sent to us from disabled adults and parents and carers of disabled children are the basis of this action. The feedback has been clear - we are in crisis and we need the government to recognise that now”.

Parent to a disabled child, advocate, and kaitiaki at Awhi Ngā Mātua Katy Thomas says dignity to the community must be restored, “Distress is at an all time high in the disability community. As is our solidarity,” she says.

“Psychiatrists report extreme concerns about the impacts of funding cuts on disabled patients and their parent carers.”

“There is no magic pill for disability. Disability is life-long and life became untenable for many in the past year. Before we can move forward from March 18, we urgently need repair. An apology costs nothing but restores dignity to damaged relationships. Restoration and reform are only possible with reconciliation first.”

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If you think that the government should apologise, please take a moment to sign the open letter. For me, it’s obscene to think of every dollar being taken that helped disabled people and their whānau, only to see it spent on tax cuts or roads.

Or the flippancy with which a petulant Nicola Willis can blow hundreds of millions of dollars cancelling ferries, yet we try to squeeze every cent from funds for disability services. It’s not what I want to see in this country. How about you?

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THE OPEN LETTER.

Take care, all you lovely people. Thanks for reading, and you’re welcome to share this.