Poverty groups warn next government of hunger and health problems plaguing Kiwi children
Six groups working at the front line of child poverty say the next government needs to show it is serious about tackling the issue by meeting with them as soon as possible and making it a top priority.
The organisations have written an open letter to Christopher Luxon, David Seymour and Winston Peters.
They want to meet with the next government before Christmas so they understand how serious the problem of childhood poverty in New Zealand is.
But the groups say this will take a concerted effort in several areas, and none of the parties about to take power have revealed exactly how they plan to do this.
The six groups who have written an open letter calling for an urgent meeting are: Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), Methodist Alliance, Presbyterian Support New Zealand, Methodist Mission Northern, NZ Council of Christian Social Services and the Paediatric Society of New Zealand.
“We heard very little about child poverty during the election campaign, but the problems are real for many families,” CPAG convener Alan Johnson said. “Overcoming poverty by redesigning important policies is how we create a future in which we thrive together.”
“Our tamariki are our future, but for that to be true, they need to live good lives now, without the burden of poverty.”
The organisations want Mr Luxon to meet with them, and forge a working relationship with him, and regularly check the pulse of the problem as he does with other lobby groups such as the business and farming communities.
In the words of the late Richie Poulton, Director of the Dunedin Study, there is one thing above all that prevents children from developing into healthy and happy adults: poverty.
“You can't really undo what happens during childhood. So the experience of intense or regular poverty is long-lasting …What do we need to address really importantly, really importantly? Poverty.” – Richie Poulton
The groups have created a petition to show the incoming government how much New Zealanders care about children in poverty and to put pressure on them to meet with the groups on the front lines of the issue.
The petition can be found here:
