Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard
Question No. 2—Finance
2. Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader—Green) to the Minister of Finance: Is he concerned at the findings in the Productivity Commission’s A fair chance for all report that nearly 1 in 5 New Zealanders experience persistent disadvantage; if so, will he commit to making the changes needed to end persistent disadvantage in New Zealand?
Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): In answer to the first part of the question, yes. I believe that all parties in this House should be concerned when segments of our population lack economic opportunities, social connections, or experience economic hardship, particularly when those patterns of disadvantage are intergenerational. In answer to the second part of the question, I believe that ending persistent disadvantage is something that all Governments should be committed to. The Productivity Commission’s recent report is a useful contribution to the debate as to what changes are necessary to reduce persistent disadvantage. I look forward to engaging with that work more fully and, as with previous Productivity Commission reports, there will be a full Government response as to some of the specific measures that the Government might want to take forward.
Hon Marama Davidson: Does he acknowledge that an income guarantee could be a central pillar of the social floor recommended in the report, ensuring that communities and whānau have basic public supports and incomes when they are experiencing disadvantage?
Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I congratulate the member on shoehorning into that question the Green Party’s policy. I do think it is important that we provide support for people when they need it and in the ways that they need it, and ensure that every New Zealander can live with dignity.
Hon Marama Davidson: Does he accept findings that institutional racism and discrimination against Māori and Pacific peoples is contributing to poor health outcomes and disadvantage for these communities, and, if so, will he prioritise equity in healthcare?
Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Absolutely we will, and are indeed prioritising equity in healthcare. The creation, through the health reforms, of Te Aka Whai Ora was an important moment, I think, in how we can take steps forward on that—and actually significantly in line with the report’s recommendations, because the report focuses particularly on institutional arrangements and systemic changes, and I think that’s exactly what we’re doing in healthcare.
Hon Marama Davidson: Does he agree that Aotearoa will be unable to meet its 10-year target to halve child poverty without significant investment to end persistent disadvantage affecting 1 in 5 New Zealanders?
Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No, I don’t. I think that is a goal that will require a lot of effort from the Government over the next few years to be able to reach it, but it is one that we have committed ourselves to. I note that in the latest Budget, around material hardship—which is the closest thing, in terms of a proxy, for what we measure at the moment, to persistent disadvantage—we have seen a reduction by 3 percentage points since 2017-18 of children living in those circumstances.
Hon Marama Davidson: Will he commit to the recommendations made in this report and to ending persistent disadvantage so all whānau have warm, dry homes, enough food on the table to feed tamariki, and so our young people can go to school instead to working 20 or 30 hours a week to support their families?
Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As I noted in my primary answer, we will work our way through the specific recommendations that have been made in the report. So, rather than responding to that part of the question directly, I would say that the themes in the report are ones that this Government has been working on. We know that there is always more to do, and we commit to working on those issues.
