Back to page

Help Grant Brookes to keep standing up for New Zealand nurses — Legal defence fund

  • A final word from Grant's legal defence fund

      29 November 2019

    After a difficult year, both Grant and the new NZNO board want to move on and overcome the divisions that have split members and our union.

    Grant and his family are hugely grateful for the support shown by members, and for the money raised to help him with legal fees.

    Grant believes the focus now needs to be on overcoming division and rebuilding the trust of the membership in the leadership of the NZNO.

    The new board has agreed to his proposal for withdrawing the legal proceedings, on the basis that all outstanding matters are now at an end.

    So as the holiday season nears, let’s all focus on reconciliation. We’re all in this together and working together will make us a real force again.

    Cheers.

    Erin

      0 comments  |  Login to leave a comment

  • Fresh proceedings lodged against NZNO Board

      4 September 2019

    Hi everyone,

    Up until now, I haven’t been too shy to tell you all about my holiday. My time in Hong Kong this past couple of weeks is something I will never forget.

    I have now arrived back to find some news from Grant, which I can share.

    As you may be aware, last week Grant had to defer his hearing for an injunction to stop the Special General Meeting from going ahead. It’s probably unlikely he will get another hearing date before the SGM.

    The good news is, yesterday he filed an updated application in the Employment Relations Authority seeking a compliance order against the NZNO Board, and something called “estoppel”.

    The compliance order could compel the Board to abide by the NZNO Constitution, and invalidate the actions they have taken in breach of the Constitution. The order would be made after the SGM, so Grant’s focus is now on winning the vote in Wellington on the 16th of September and winning his case against the Board afterwards.

    I will leave to the lawyers to explain what “estoppel” is.

    This latest legal action has been made possible by your donations. There’s a long road ahead, so please keep sharing the Givealittle page, up until it closes on the 17th.

    Meanwhile for me, the most memorable time in Hong Kong was joining the human chain protest for democracy. News reports said it was 50km long.

    Honestly, there were people there who looked like they were 100 years old. The bravery shown by those people in standing up for what is right amazes me. A bit like Grant, really.

    Cheers,

    Erin

      0 comments  |  Login to leave a comment

  • Grant's latest news

      28 August 2019

    Hi all,

    Thanks again to everyone who has donated and shared this page. Having 141 people donate five and half thousand dollars in just over a week shows the level of support out there for an NZNO leader who listens and who cares.

    Grant has written an update, so I don't have to:

    https://nznogrant.org/2019/08/27/nzno-injunction-application-proceeds-as-dhb-meca-report-drops/comment-page-1/

    It sounds like there's a lot of legal work going on behind the scenes. So until your friends, family and colleagues start getting annoyed, please keep sharing this page.

    Solidarity

    Erin

      0 comments  |  Login to leave a comment

  • One step forward for Grant and for NZ Nurses

      22 August 2019

    It's been a massive four days. A surge of support for Grant on social media and inside NZNO. And a surge of support through this Givealittle page which was big enough to push us onto the home page. Apparently we were "trending".

    I'm writing this brief update from Hong Kong, which has seen some fairly big upsurges of its own recently.

    Four and a half thousand dollars has been raised through our Givealittle page. Grant has asked me to pass on his sincere thanks to everyone who has donated – even though I'm on holiday at the moment. He's such a slave-driver.

    He also asked me to pass on the news that thanks to your donations, he has been able to start the legal battle to retain his position and keep standing up for us. Today he submitted an application for an injunction to stop the Board's Special General Meeting from going ahead. I don't have any more info on that at the moment, except for what's in his media release:

    https://nznogrant.org/2019/08/22/injunction-application-filed-by-nurses-organisation-president/

    So thanks again everyone for your support. If you keep sharing this page on Facebook and around your contacts, that would be great.

    Those Board members might have thought they had it in the bag. But with fighting spirit like Grant's, and with your ongoing support, this ain't over.

    Solidarity,

    Erin

      0 comments  |  Login to leave a comment