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Correspondence with Ministers of Parliament and Local Mayors

Andrew Metcalfe —

At Synod there are usually motions that call upon the Government or other leaders to act on issues that we as a church feel strongly about. Our most recent correspondence has been to the Government about Cost of Living Pressure, as well as asking local and national endorsement of the Fossil Fuel Non-proliferation Treaty.


Fossil Fuels — Image by: pixabay.com

Fossil Fuel Non-proliferation Treaty 

At Synod 2023 a motion was passed expressing concerns about social and public Housing. Bishop Steve wrote to the following letter to:  

  • The Honourable Rachel Brooking, MP for Dunedin

  • The Honourable Ingrid Leary, MP for Taieri

and also (by email) to: 

Please note: we were advised that rather than send this letter to named Government Ministers, we would have more effect sending it to local Members of Parliament to take it up with Government ministers on our behalf. Similar letters were sent to Anglican Financial Care and to the Dunedin Diocesan Trust Board.

Subject: Endorsement of Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty

At the second session of the Sixty Second Synod of the (Anglican) Diocese of Dunedin in September 2023, the following motion was moved and carried:

That this Synod:

  1. Endorses the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative;
  2. Calls on all the local bodies of the Diocese to endorse the Treaty Initiative, and asks that the Bishop write to them asking them to do so;
  3. Calls on Parliamentarians and central Government to endorse the Treaty Initiative; and asks that the Bishop write to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Climate Change, and the Minister for Energy and Resources.
  4. Commits to ensuring that the investments of the Dunedin Diocesan Trust Board are in accordance with the Treaty Initiative;
  5. Asks that the Bishop write to the Anglican Pension board to raise the issue of signing up to the Treaty Initiative;
  6. Commits to cooperation with other churches and community organisations to further these goals.

I’m writing to you to communicate this motion and to ask you both to help in passing this matter onto appropriate Ministers for a response.

We understand that appropriate ministers to communicate this to are: The Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Christopher Luxon; the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Right Honourable Winston Peters; the Minister for Climate Change, The Honourable Simon Watt and; the Minister for Energy and resources, The Honourable Simeon Brown.

I am aware that this issue does not appear to be part of the coalition government’s priorities. and, in fact, many of their policies appear to be going backwards in this space. After the second hottest year on record in New Zealand (2023), we continue to be alarmed by an apparent lack of action in this space, where our country could be leading the world by example. It does appear that important concerns like this can become part of political agendas rather than seeing this issue as serious enough to get cross party agreement and action. We want to do our part as a Church (which is indicated in the above motion) but also want to see our representatives leading positive change in this space.

Our worldwide communion of Anglican Churches has a focus on Five Marks of Mission, with Mark 5 being: To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and re-new the life of the earth. As people of faith, we want to lead by example, but also need to know that those we elect are taking the future of our planet seriously. 

Yours in Christ


The Right Reverend Steven Benford, Bishop of Dunedin

Addendum: Explanatory Notes from Synod Paperwork.

The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative is a call for a binding agreement between the world's governments. It has three pillars:

  1. Non-proliferation: End the expansion of any new coal, oil or gas production.
  2. A fair phase out: Wind down existing production in a way where countries with the capacity and historical responsibility for emissions transition fastest and support others.
  3. Just transition: Fast track the adoption of clean energy and economic diversification away from fossil fuels so no worker, community and country is left behind in the transition.

The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty has already been endorsed by many faith organisations, including the Anglican Consultative Council, the Vatican, the World Council of Churches and the Pacific Conference of Churches. It has also been endorsed by six national governments (Vanuatu, Tonga, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Niue, Tuvalu) and the European Parliament, as well as eighty-four cities and subnational governments, thousands of civil society organisations and scientists and hundreds of thousands of individuals. [1]


[1] For further readings on Motion 9, see:
a. https://fossilfueltreaty.org/faith-letter
b. https://www.anglicancommunion.org/communications/press-and-media/press-releases/anglican-consultative-council-signs-fossil-fuel-non-proliferation-treaty.aspx
c. https://fossilfueltreaty.org/vatican
d. .https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/documents/minute-on-various-pressing-issues
e. https://fossilfueltreaty.org/fiji
f. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2022-0461_EN.html

5 marks of Mission:  — Image by: Roger Farnworth

Cost of Living Pressure

The Synod also agreed to a motion around cost of living pressure which was sent to The Honourable Brook van Velden, Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety, and copied to local Dunedin MPs. 

Subject: Cost of Living Pressure

At the second session of the Sixty Second Synod of the (Anglican) Diocese of Dunedin in September 2023, the following motion was moved on behalf of our Social Justice Committee and carried:

That this Synod expresses concern to the Government about the impact of cost-of-living pressures on households, noting that this year (2023), after a period of decreasing the gap between the minimum wage and the living wage, the gap has significantly increased, and asks the Bishop to write to the Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety to urge continued efforts to close the gap between the minimum wage and living wage.

I’m writing to you to communicate this motion and to ask for a response.

I am aware that this issue does not appear to be part of the coalition government’s priorities and, in fact, may be against stated policy that opposes any increase in the minimum wage or encouragement towards providing a living wage.

During opportunities for people to speak to this motion at Synod, it was pointed out by one representative of the difference in cleaning pay rates between government departments. Some of these departments provide the living wage while other (externally contracted) cleaning companies who do not. This was seen to be an issue of equity within the very heart of the corridors of parliament, but also drew attention to the difference in the lives of people who can participate fully in their community and the wider economy compared to those who do not have enough to live on.

We are interested in your response to this and how we may be able to engage in a conversation that may “change minds” at your end, or ours. People ministering in our churches regularly report the distress of hard working, vulnerable people and families in our community who struggle to make ends meet. 

When we remember to words of Jesus Christ in Luke 6: 20-21: Then he looked up at his disciples and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.’ … we see ourselves and our elected representatives as being charged to do what we can to bringing about the end of poverty, hunger and tears.

Yours in Christ
The Right Reverend Steven Benford
Bishop of Dunedin
CC: The Honourable Rachel Brooking, MP for Dunedin
The Honourable Ingrid Leary, MP for Taieri