Income Equality Aotearoa New Zealand Inc. -- Closing the Gap

MEDIA RELEASE: Prime Minister John Key resigns 6th December 2016

There will be mixed feelings throughout the country about Key’s resignation says Peter Malcolm spokesperson for Income Equality Aotearoa New Zealand Inc. -- Closing the Gap

There will be some who think he has been a great Prime Minister. But there will be many who have been very disappointed that such a capable leader, who could have taken the country with him, chose to avoid the difficult problems of inequality and poverty that are almost endemic in New Zealand says Malcolm.

Over the last eight years, under Key’s stewardship, income for those-in-need has stagnated or gone backwards in real terms, whereas those in the top percentiles of income have seen significant increases. Exacerbating this inequality, the housing market is totally out of control, with affordable housing for beneficiaries and those on lower incomes now non-existent.

There are now significant numbers of families who cannot go to their GPs in times of need. Elective surgery lists for those who rely on the public system are getting longer—many can’t afford the health insurance which would ensure surgery when needed.

Power costs have continued to climb. So day to day living for those in need is getting worse and child poverty is as bad as ever Malcolm goes on to say

Income inequality has seriously damaging effects on our society and the lower paid are increasingly having to bear an unfair proportion of the costs.

After 3 terms it is hardly something to be proud of that, in his own words, things have remained pretty much the same for the last twenty years.

We from Closing the Gap wish him and his family well for the future and hope that successive Prime Ministers recognise they are responsible for all the people in New Zealand and not just the wealthy few.

© Scoop Media