2 March 2005
Child poverty is not going away
Government claims that child poverty problems have improved in the past five years are discredited by a Health Ministry
report published this week, the Green Party says.
The report, Influences in Childhood on the Development of Cardiovascular Disease and Type 2 Diabetes in Adulthood,
confirmed what the Green Party has been saying for many years, Green MPs Sue Kedgley and Sue Bradford said.
The report is based on the latest New Zealand and international research and shows that one child in three in New
Zealand is growing up below the accepted minimum living standard.
It shows that low-income New Zealand families are unable to purchase essential foods, Ms Kedgley, the Green's Health
Spokesperson says.
"What this means is that a generation of New Zealand children are growing up without the necessary vitamin and minerals
needed for healthy development."
New Zealand is experiencing rapidly increasing rates of childhood obesity and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular
disease and type 2 diabetes. Healthy choices, which would lower the chances of children developing these lifelong
conditions, are limited by socio-economic constraints, the report says.
The report confirms that many New Zealand families can't even afford to provide a basic nutritious diet for their
children, Ms Kedgley says.
It is unacceptable that those who are already the most vulnerable can't even get basic staples like good food
disadvantaged and it's time for this Government to take responsibility for all the members of our society, Ms Kedgley
says.
Ms Bradford, the Green's Children's Affairs Spokesperson, says the Unicef report confirmed other research over the past
five years that showed the deliberate actions of both the Labour and National governments had created intergenerational
poverty.
"Those affects are still with us and still affecting far too many children. While the Government has taken some steps we
are pleased with, such as income-related rents and some assistance for families, there is still discrimination against
the children of beneficiaries.
"The Government's Working for Families policy only rewards families where at least one parent is working, leaving
beneficiary families out in the cold. It also abolishes the special benefit, which is actually a benefit cut.
"New Zealand also has a very low wage economy - many workers wages are not even enough to properly feed, house or care
for their families. We believe the minimum wage should be raised to $12 an hour and it's time that employers stopped
relying on the taxpayer to subsidise wages through accommodation supplement and other forms of family support.
"We call on both the Government and employers to play their part in eliminating child poverty in New Zealand."
ENDS