Today at 11:45 the Living Wage Movement Aotearoa New Zealand is making a submission to the Auckland Council that it become a Living Wage employer. As part of it, Clay will be speaking for the faith community. Your prayers and supportive thoughts will be appreciated. His statement is as follows:

Tena koutou katoa. My name is Clay Nelson and I am a priest at St Matthew-in-the-City, but I am here representing more than my faith community, but all Aucklanders of any faith or no faith who are on personal journey of transformation of self to reach their highest potential. 

The Living Wage Movement is all about transformation. And that is the business of faith. It is clear that those paid justly for their labours experience a transformation that comes with being valued for who they are and what they do. As important as fostering that transformation is, as it diminishes many of society’s very expensive ills, it is not that alone that brought me into the Movement.

The most important feature of the Movement for me is that it is voluntary. Transformation cannot be forced or imposed. It begins with an individual decision to change how we relate to our neighbours, our world, and ourselves. It offers an invitation to us who may have some power and influence to seek the common good. It offers employers the opportunity to act justly and compassionately and to know how doing so changes our lives. Lastly it offers a means to overcome one of the highest hurdles that divide us: the cycle of poverty, and thereby, transforming society.

So I am here today to ask each of you, our representatives, to make the individual decision to lead Auckland on this journey of transformation by choosing to be a Living Wage employer. As Auckland’s largest employer it won’t be long before other employers and rate payers will be able to see it benefits us all. 

Recently it was reported that Aotearoa New Zealand is number one amongst nations in social progress. My hope is that your decision will make Auckland first amongst our cities. Thank you.