The Labour Party is challenging Christopher Luxon to set out how National will achieve legally set child poverty reduction targets, given his cuts to benefits will see someone looking for a job who has children $50 a week worse off.
“It’s an absolute certainty that the National Party’s tax plan will result in more children living in poverty,” Labour Party Social Development and Employment Spokesperson Carmel Sepuloni said.
“My challenge to Christopher Luxon is to lay out how he intends to achieve the child poverty reduction targets the National Party signed up to, while at the same time cutting the incomes of New Zealand’s poorest families.
“Mr Luxon likes to talk about delivery and outcomes, so tell me this, how will you deliver fewer children living in poverty while cutting their household incomes to pay for your tax cut?
“I agree with former Children’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft when he said indexing benefit increases to average wage increases was “the single biggest step to stop children remaining in poverty.
“So did the then-National Party leader and Children’s Spokesperson – who commended the Government and said it was something National thought was important. Clearly that has changed.
“In a cost of living crisis how can it be that our poorest kids will receive a $50 a week cut to their family incomes, in order to pay for tax cuts for millionaires and property speculators.
“It exposes Christophers Luxon’s real values and who he’s in politics to benefit. If Luxon wins, our children lose.
“I’m proud of the work Labour has done to lift over 77,000 children out of poverty. A National, ACT, New Zealand First coalition of chaos will put those advances at risk and see more kiwi kids grow up poor,” Carmel Sepuloni said.