Too many of our whānau are struggling, out of work and unable to survive on benefits set deliberately below the poverty line, or are working two or three jobs on low wages while still not being able to pay their bills. Papatūānuku is in trouble, and our wai is dying from pollution and overuse. The very ecosystems that sustain our whakapapa are threatened. We are suffering from institutional racism and the failure to undertake constitutional transformation like Matike Mai to recognise our tino rangatiratanga. Our young people are struggling in an education system that refuses to adjust to fit their needs or support them to thrive as their true selves. If we are well, we can learn; if we can learn, we can earn; and if we can earn, then we can create a better future for our whānau while serving our community and looking after our taiao. 