CPAG Summit 2019: Whakamana Tāngata: Where to from here? Wellington, November 18
Child poverty, and the need to substantially reduce it, has been at the forefront of public policy in Aotearoa since the
election in 2017.
The Government's Families Package signaled a beginning, with improvements to Working for Families, the introduction of
Best Start and the Winter Energy Payment, Accommodation Supplement increases and extending paid parental leave. Valuable
recent developments include a newly minted Child Poverty Reduction Act, an in-depth report on welfare reform from the
Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG), the first official Government child poverty reduction targets, and a fresh range
of statistics.
Measures and benchmarks are important priorities. But progress on reducing poverty for the worst-off children is yet to
be seen. The need for charity assistance is at an all-time high, and while there is increased Government spending on
special needs grants and emergency housing needs these interventions are far from adequate.
Late into 2019, 174,000 children living in the most impoverished, desperate situations are yet to see any real gain.
Thus far, uptake of the extensive WEAG recommendations has been disappointing, with Government announcements providing
little relief for the children living in the deepest poverty. The limited government response to the WEAG’s Whakamana
Tāngata is frustrating, and the lack of public focus is perplexing.
Topics include:
- Welfare principles
- Housing subsidies
- Achieving income adequacy
- Individualisation of benefits
- The interaction of work and welfare
- How best to get our messages across
Speakers include: Minister of Social Development Hon. Carmel Sepuloni, Children's Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft,
Associate Professor Khylee Quince, Professor Innes Asher of CPAG, Moira Lawler and John Zois of Lifewise, Samuel Murray
of CCS Disability Action, Professor Tracey McIntosh and more!
Join CPAG and friends, and hear from the experts speaking at our Summit about how we can make Aotearoa a better place
for children and families - and how this Government can be convinced to make the bold steps to achieve the
transformational impact it promised.
ENDS