Child poverty statistics remain ‘relatively unchanged’ for Maori, Pacific, Disabled children – AAAP

The government’s latest statistics on child poverty were released today, and while there’s a downward trend it shows that material hardship and low income rates for Maori, Pacific and Disabled children remain relatively unchanged.

“This Labour government has no excuses in eliminating child poverty and poverty in Aotearoa NZ. As we’ve seen in their response to Covid, they have the capacity to change things very quickly. We don’t need targeted measures for alleviating poverty, we can be bold and brave and eliminate it” says Coordinator for Auckland Action Against Poverty Brooke Pao Stanley.

All children in our country should have secure housing, access to organic food, free public transport, free power and internet, good education, free healthcare, free dental, free eye appointments. We have everything we need here in Aotearoa NZ to make these things possible and yet we don’t and it’s not good enough. We’re not being courageous or transformational in our leadership and we continue to fail some of our most precious taonga we have – our babies and young people.

Eliminating child poverty and poverty with Liveable Incomes and Universal Services should be part of the plan in responding to Covid, and as part of a wider plan in preparing for a just transition to a new system that’s set out in Matike Mai because our worth isn’t tied to our work, it’s tied to our existence.