The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and the New Zealand
Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) are shining a
light on the state of child poverty with the Pre-Election
Child Poverty Update.
Saturday 17 October marks the
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, which
began as World Child Poverty Day.
In the lead-up to
the election, both organisations are calling on the next
government to increase investment in reducing Aotearoa New
Zealand’s shocking child poverty rates.
“Child
poverty is a political choice,” says CPAG spokesperson Isaac
Gunson.
“We’ve seen how political choices have made
child poverty worse across the decades, and how they’ve
made it better, too.”
The Pre-Election Child Poverty
Update pulls together data from across Government agencies,
original research by both organisations, and a timeline of
policies which have positively and negatively contributed to
child poverty rates, to paint a clear picture of the
struggle our tamariki face.
“This document is not
intended to attack one party over another. In fact, it makes
clear that both governments led by both National and Labour
have achieved reduction in child poverty,” says
Gunson.
“Sadly, both parties have led governments
which presided over increases in child poverty,
too.”
NZCCSS Chief Executive Alicia Sudden says
hardship and poverty are not inevitable.
“Poverty
impacts children at all stages of childhood. It not only
makes it harder to meet children’s basic needs, but limits
their participation, achievement and sense of hope for their
future. Too many families are being trapped in poverty and
hardship by failing systems that no longer provide a safety
net. Our member organisations see firsthand children
arriving at their services with lingering coughs, shoes that
are too small and the stress they are carrying.
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“With
the right policy choices and investment in our children, New
Zealand can build a just and compassionate society where
every child has enough.”
Both NZCCSS
and CPAG
have made clear policy asks of the next government to
immediately address rising rates of material hardship and
stagnating rates of income poverty.
“In 2018, our
politicians made a promise to halve child poverty rates by
2028. Today, material hardship is worse than when the Child
Poverty Reduction Act was signed into law, despite
meaningful reductions in the early 2020s” says
Gunson.
“Child poverty affects us all. A child who
grows up in poverty faces significant barriers throughout
their life, and with one in seven children (14.3%) living in
material hardship, that will have a flow-on effect on our
economic output in generations to come.”
The
Pre-Election Child Poverty update lays bare both major
parties’ record on dealing with this significant
issue.
“We love all Kiwi kids. We know what we need to
do. Let’s get on with it,” says Gunson.
“Enough is
enough.”
