I’ve Seen the System From All Sides…And It’s Not Working

I’ve Seen the System From All Sides…And It’s Not Working

I wear a lot of hats.
I run a youth charity Youth Voices Action. I am the director of public affairs of a community lobby group Lobby For Good. We have a small family owned fishing company being pushed out of the Marine Precinct. I’m a mum to a child with autism. And a new mother to a toddler trying to grow up in a cost of living crisis while our businesses become targets. 

And after everything I’ve experienced, one thing is absolutely clear:
The system isn’t built to serve everyday people.
And when you speak up about that, you quickly become the problem, not the person trying to fix it.

I’ve seen it firsthand.
I’ve been profiled, blacklisted, labelled as “anti-growth” and retaliated against for raising concerns. Not because I was wrong, but because I’ve asked questions.
Questions about public assets being sold off. About schools being underfunded. About families being left behind across a 10 year period. Across that time, there has been different political parties and coalitions in office and elected members (and commissioners) in seats at a local level. 

Instead of honest dialogue, I’ve watched it turn into damage control.
Instead of accountability, I’ve watched people in power scramble to protect reputations.
Instead of transparency, I’ve seen layers of spin, while those of us impacted most are written off or silenced.

And I’m tired. But not giving up.

Because I know I’m not alone.
I’ve met too many parents, students, business owners, workers, and community leaders who’ve had the same experience: you speak the truth, and suddenly you’re a risk to manage.

Here’s what I want to say,

This isn’t about Left or Right.
It’s not about one council or one agency.
It’s about a political model that rewards loyalty over honesty and PR over real change.

Lobby for Good was never meant to be just about Tauranga. It was born out of a bigger need , to bring real voices back into the rooms where decisions are made.
Youth Voices Action, came from the same place with young people deserve to shape the world they’re inheriting.

But even with all these platforms, I’m still just a mum trying to raise her kids in a system that doesn’t listen unless you’re “loud enough” … and then punishes you for the volume.

We have to stop this.
We have to get out of this cycle where speaking up gets you shut out.

Communities should never be discredited for asking fair questions.
Public consultation should mean more than a checkbox.
And policy should reflect lived experience, not political convenience.

If we don’t come together now, across party lines, across silos, we’ll keep getting divided over surface differences while the real issues stay untouched.

We deserve better.
Our kids deserve better.
And I’m going to keep fighting for that, even when it’s uncomfortable, even when it costs something, because silence has already cost us too much. 

If you’ve made it this far in my long post, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 

(For clarity: I’m not running in the 2026 election and I’m no longer affiliated with any political party. Just doing the work, like so many others who care.)