The Green Party says the Child Poverty Action Group Change Manifesto to Reduce Child Poverty confirms change is needed, reinforcing the need for a government that champions the wellbeing of children instead of the interest of large corporations.
“The state of child poverty in Aotearoa is shocking. One in seven children, 169,300 of them, are now in material hardship. That’s 47,500 more than in 2022. New Zealand must take action to end the child poverty crisis,” says Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson.
“One in four Tamariki Māori, one in three Pasifika children, and one in four disabled children are in material hardship at this very moment. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating.”
“Change is needed urgently for our country and our children. No one wants children in poverty, but right now the Coalition Government is enabling it and actively making it worse.”
“We need a government that will end child poverty and take immediate action. The Green Party has already made clear that no child has to go hungry or live in poverty, and we have a plan to fix the crisis we are in.”
“Whānau should have all they need to live good lives. That means paying living wages, and keeping benefit entitlements individualised, aligned with inflation, and abolishing sanctions.”
“Poverty is a political choice that the Coalition Government is making for our children by pushing thousands of families into hardship. It’s not something we have to accept. We can choose to end it, and a Green Government would.”
“Aotearoa can be the best place in the world to grow up, where all children, young people, and whānau have what they need to thrive, but we need a government that cares about children to achieve it,” says Davidson.
