Source: Child Poverty Action Group
Children are bearing the brunt of entrenched inequality in New Zealand.
Bryan Bruce’s documentary’s Inside Child Poverty Revisited shown last night on TV3 shows that while there have been some improvements in the 11 years since his first documentary on the issue, little has been done to dismantle the system that enables child poverty says CPAG spokesperson, Susan St John.
The documentary showed that too many children are still going hungry, living in insecure, crowded accommodation and suffering the diseases of poverty. Meanwhile bank profits have soared, yet so too has the need for food banks.
Bruce accused New Zealanders of doubling down on the economics of selfishness despite claiming they wanted a fairer society. He was especially critical of tax policies that rewarded investors in the housing market and the discriminatory nature of child-tax credits for those on low incomes.
“It’s why we need urgent action on Working for Families (WFF),” says St John, interviewed in 2011 and again in 2022 about CPAG’s legal case challenging the harmful discrimination against the poorest children.
“WFF needs to be far more generous and given in full to all low-income families. Payments must be tied to wages and prices just as New Zealand Super is and low-income earners should not be penalized by severe abatements while trying to earn their way out of poverty.”
While government measures such as the Healthy Homes act, benefit increases, free lunches in the poorest schools and the Child Poverty Reduction Act are commendable, little has been done to dampen the housing market. Huge wealth inequality driven by housing is at the heart of the problem.
Ultimately child poverty is not just an issue for the government.; as the documentary said we are the government. If New Zealanders really want a fairer society in which every child thrives then we must all be willing to address the causes of inequality.
