The select committee's changes to National’s move on orders Bill are a significant win for New Zealanders, but the Bill still continues to criminalise people for being homeless.

"National’s Bill was cruel and unworkable as introduced. It wanted Police to respond to a 14-year-old living alone on the street with a move on order, a fine, and the threat of imprisonment. How can that be our response to a seeing a child live on the street?” Labour justice spokesperson Camilla Belich said.

"More than 7000 New Zealanders made submissions, with more than 98 percent opposing the Bill. That included the Police Association, Retail NZ, City Missions, faith groups, and everyday New Zealanders. They should take enormous credit for the changes that have been made.

“But the fundamental problem remains. Criminalising people for sleeping rough when they have no other option is wrong, and it shows just how out of touch Christopher Luxon is.

“The Bill does nothing to address the underlying problem of homelessness. National stopped Kāinga Ora from making more homes available, stopped people in need from accessing emergency housing, and made the cost of living worse.

"You don't fix homelessness by telling people to move on, you fix it by ensuring people have access to stable housing.

"Labour will advance amendments at committee stage to remove rough sleeping and begging from this Bill entirely, and we hope parties across the House will support them.

"New Zealanders have made it very clear this Bill is not the solution to our housing crisis that National made worse. We simply can't afford three more years of National treating people as problems to be swept under the rug," Camilla Belich said.