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Child poverty inaction 'makes no sense'

Author
Alex Mason,
Publish Date
Tue, 5 May 2015, 5:18AM
Photo / Getty Images
Photo / Getty Images

Child poverty inaction 'makes no sense'

Author
Alex Mason,
Publish Date
Tue, 5 May 2015, 5:18AM

The Government's lack of action over New Zealand's child poverty crisis makes zero economic sense, according to the Council of Trade Unions.

ActionStation, a lobbying group, has launched a petition demanding political courage to stop what it says is an entirely avoidable crisis, and the Council of Trade Unions is supporting that petition.

CTU secretary Sam Huggard highlights the fact New Zealand spends about $6 billion a year on dealing with the consequences of poverty.

"Even if the Government was to out in just $1 billion on addressing some of the core drivers of poverty, it would make economic sense, but it would also make social sense to make sure people were living more decent lives."

The unions are backing a call on the Government to make this Budget a Budget to end child poverty.

Huggard points out it's the Government has a responsibility to reduce poverty, and contends one of the best ways of doing that is by lifting incomes.

"That can be both returning benefits to a level which enables people to live properly on, to increase the minimum wage so that very low income workers have more to afford to live in society."

Yesterday, Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei expressed anxiety at the lack of any pledge to tackle child poverty.

Turei said it needed to be a major part of the Budget.

"Now that the surplus is out of the picture and the country will be in deficit yet again, I'm very concerned that they will make no allocations for child poverty."

 

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