More Kiwis are hungry, homeless and out of work – Labour

“This devastating report shows just how far this country has gone backwards under this coalition of chaos,” Labour’s social development spokesperson Carmel Sepuloni said.

“While Government parties scrap with each other, our kids are going hungry, more people are living in cars and our best and brightest are leaving for Australia.

“Across most of the report’s indicators in the past year, outcomes have either worsened or not changed for children and youth.

“Homelessness is on the rise as the Government kicks families out of emergency housing without knowing where they all go, and next year the number of Kainga Ora homes in Auckland will go backwards.

“Unemployment is on the rise, with about 1 in 10 Māori and Pacific people unemployed while the Government chooses to give billions to landlords and tobacco companies, instead of helping struggling families.

“The Government is shamelessly boasting about growth, but the only growth we’re seeing is in the numbers of hungry, homeless and unemployed New Zealanders,” Carmel Sepuloni said.