Media Release
Parents’ Alliance welcomes Labour’s pledge to work to restore rural school buses
MEDIA RELEASE
11 October 2026
Parents' Alliance welcome Labour's pledge to work to restore rural school buses
The Parents' Alliance welcomes Labour's commitment to work to restore the rural school bus routes reduced under the current Government, announced in the party's Cost of Living Action Plan.
Labour says that where a cancelled route can't be brought back, it will work with rural communities and local councils to find an alternative.
For hundreds of rural families who have spent the past two years driving their children to school themselves, that is welcome news.
"You can't fix attendance if children can't reach the school gate," says Parents' Alliance Chair Cameron Bagrie. "For rural families the school bus isn't a convenience. It's the difference between a child sitting in class and a child stuck at home."
“The Government has rightly made attendance a priority," says Bagrie. "But you can't tell parents every day at school counts and then take away the bus that gets their kids there. Restoring these routes is one of the simplest attendance policies on the table."
The Parents' Alliance acknowledges the MPs from across both side of the aisle who have kept this issue in front of Parliament.
"This isn't a left or right issue. It's a rural kids issue," says Bagrie. "Restoring cut routes and filling empty seats work together. We'd urge whichever parties form the next government to do both."
“However, any changes should be subject to cost-benefit analysis to ensure value and effectiveness. The Parents’ Alliance supports clear measurement of kids’ progress and this principle needs to apply to money spent to support schooling.”
ENDS
Media contact: Cameron Bagrie, Chair and Spokesperson, The Parents’ Alliance 027 290 9844
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About the Parents' Alliance: The Parents' Alliance The Parents’ Alliance Te Kotahitanga o ngā Mātua, Le Lotogatasi o Mātua, 家长联盟, पारिवारिक मंच is a national group building a collective voice for parents, grandparents and whānau in education.