Te Pāti Māori Rejects Move-on Orders: “We Will Not Police Our Way Out Of Homelessness"

Te Pāti Māori has denounced the Government’s plan to increase police powers to issue ‘move-on’ orders banning homeless people from public spaces, across Aotearoa.

Housing and Homelessness spokesperson Oriini Kaipara warns the move will deepen harm for the most vulnerable, while allowing the system to continue profiting from their exclusion.

“It is not about public safety or protecting people. It is about protecting businesses,” Kaipara said.

“It targets those who have the absolute least. It does nothing to end homelessness. It does nothing to house our most vulnerable. It is a poor attempt at fixing a pakaru pipeline that puts people in poverty in prison.”

Earlier today, the government announced its intentions to amend the Summary Offences Act that allows police to issue ‘move-on’ orders banning beggars, rough sleepers, and anyone displaying disorderly or threatening behaviour from public spaces, for up to 24 hours.

The new rule would apply to anyone aged 14 years and over, if breached, a person could be fined up to $2,000 or jailed for up to three months.

“Criminalising poverty is a serious constitutional move, one that steers us farther from our proud culture of manaaki, as people of Aotearoa,” Kaipara says.

“When we punish our own instead of supporting them to get better and back on their feet, we are ultimately abandoning our responsibility of care to one another.

Despite several government solutions including Housing First and Transitional Housing providing relief across centres, housing demand remains at crisis point, nationwide.

There are around 110,000 people homeless in Aotearoa, almost half are under 25. InTāmaki Makaurau, the figure doubled to 940.

The MP for Tāmaki Makaurau warns the ‘move-on’ orders directly conflict with the urgent need to reduce homelessness and build pathways into stability and intergenerational security.

“We will not police our way out of homelessness,” Kaipara said.

“Māori remain significantly overrepresented in homelessness and incarceration statistics. Instead of investing in housing, the government is choosing enforcement. That will push whānau further into cycles of instability, insecurity, and ultimately crime.

Kaipara is calling for immediate action aligned with Māori-led solutions and prevention.

“Our people are not the problem. The failure to provide housing is.”

“Rangatahi are most at risk. Advocacy groups including Manaaki Rangatahi have urged the government and Ministers for years to end the homeless crisis by investing in youth-centred, Māori solutions.

“This is exactly what my first Member’s Bill, the Youth Homelessness Prevention Bill, seeks to achieve. It is by the people, for the people.”