Budget Briefing: Time to address child poverty in New Zealand
In light of the 2016 Budget, experts from across the country are calling on the government to do more about child poverty in New Zealand through the latest series of briefing papers released by The Briefing Papers.
AUT University Professor Ian Shirley, editor of The Briefing Papers said the challenge issued by the Briefing Papers is to provide a comprehensive response to child poverty in terms of income, health, education and housing.
He said, “The budget needs to address the systemic issues underpinning child poverty rather than dealing with symptoms. The history of dithering and prevarication needs to end – it’s time for action and that means research-based policy initiatives are needed to address the core issues.”
Professor Shirley said previous budgets have failed to address the needs of New Zealand’s disadvantaged children. “Closing the gaps was big on rhetoric but failed to materialise in action.”
“If we are serious about a ‘brighter future’ for the next generation, then policies addressing the systemic issues underpinning child poverty today are the best way to support and enhance New Zealand’s greatest asset,” he said.
Contributing to this series of Briefing Papers are policy analysts and action groups on various topics of child poverty.
Addressing discrimination within child poverty
In her paper ‘A Step change for children: Fix Working for Families’ Associate Professor Susan St John supported the Child Action Poverty Group (CPAG) view that New Zealand’s social security system should address the needs of all children, not just the ‘deserving few’ whose parents work the right number of hours.
Child poverty in Maori and Pacific communities
The Briefing Papers also revealed insights into the health and education impacts of child poverty within Maori and Pacific communities.
Innes Asher, Professor Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health reported that Māori and Pasifika children poverty rates were twice that of European children.
“Hospital admissions for many diseases in children in young people are over double the rate for Māori and Pasifika children.”
She said, “When a child grows up in an impoverished environment, the lived experience of material hardship impacts upon their health and wellbeing both now, and in the future.”
Tagaloatele Peggy Fairbairn-Dunlop, Professor of Pacific Studies at AUT said that the effect of ‘one-size fits all’ approach towards policies addressing poverty have been detrimental on Pacific families because Pacific resource-sharing behaviours have likely masked the true nature and extent of hardship.
She said, “Understanding, factoring in, preserving and building on the cultural wealth of Pacific families is central to the Pacific child poverty debate.”
“Nearly half of New Zealand’s Pacific people are under 20 and along with having lower incomes than the rest of the population, remittances to extended families overseas result in the double-whammy of greater financial commitments on their parents.”
Can legislative tools reduce child poverty?
The briefing papers also explore whether legislative tools can be used to require governments to commit to a reduction in child poverty – a recent policy initiative in the United Kingdom.
Drawing on United Kingdom’s 2010 Child Poverty Act, John Hancock’s research provides a useful point of reference when considering the benefits and risks of such an approach in New Zealand.
Contributions to The Briefing Papers Child Poverty series:
Innes Asher, Professor Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland – More income required to improve the health of poor children
Ian Shirley, Professor Public Policy, Auckland University of Technology – The nation’s greatest asset
Susan St John, Associate Professor: Business and Economics, University of Auckland – A step change for children: Fix Working for Families.
Tagaloatele Peggy Fairbairn-Dunlop, Professor of Pacific Studies, Auckland University of Technology – Poverty of spirit – a Pacific view
Alan Johnson, Policy Analyst, The Salvation Army – Housing NZ’s Children
Office of the Commissioner for Children - Legislation to reduce child poverty.