13 FEBRUARY

State Of The Nation Reveals Government Failure

The National Government must urgently act to protect children as a report shows violence against kids escalating and a widening gap between the educational success of poor and wealthy students, the Green Party said today.

“The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report makes depressing reading as it outlines failure after failure of the John Key Government to look after our kids and to represent the needs of ordinary kiwis,” Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said.

“Findings of escalating violence against children, unaffordable housing and evidence that poorer kids are falling behind at school show families are under enormous stress.

“We believe that if all the indicators show kids are suffering then the National Government must change what it is doing.

“There is nothing more important than the safety of children, and there are fewer factors that influence their opportunity to lead a good life than a stable home and a good education.

“It’s shocking, but not really surprising, to see poorer kids slipping behind when their parents may have lost jobs, or been forced to move because the National Government has overseen a shedding of export and manufacturing jobs and huge increases in the cost of housing.

“Central to the right of every kiwi kid to have a good life and a fair future is a strong public education system. But Instead of investing in public education, the National Government has been undermining it, even building charter schools so business can make a buck by employing untrained people teaching our most disadvantaged kids.

“We believe it is unacceptable for the Government to read reports showing kiwi kids are hurting without acting urgently to change that.

‘Instead of tax cuts for the rich, why not invest in warm healthy homes for everyone, a living wage and child payments to make sure families can thrive?

“The Green Party’s Home for Life policy would enable even very low income families to own their own home, and would make a real difference to thousands of families.

“We would stand by our exporters and manufacturers to keep high wage, high skill jobs in New Zealand and build a smart green and sustainable economy for everyone’s benefit,” Mrs Turei said.

ENDS

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