Children too often invisible in decisions about tax, welfare, housing and health – Children’s Commissioner

Too little attention is being paid to children’s interests in decisions about tax, welfare, housing and health, Children’s Commissioner John Angus said today.

“There are some big decisions being made in these areas and I’m concerned the welfare of children is sometimes not even part of the development of policy, let alone given emphasis in decisions. There are serious consequences for many children if they keep being ignored,” he said.

The comments come as he releases a report outlining how well New Zealand is meeting its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC). The Commissioner is required to monitor the government’s work to improve the position of children and report back to the UN. The UNCROC was ratified by New Zealand in 1993.

“The leaky home situation is a good example of the government not giving weight to the consequences for children. Living in damp housing can have a huge impact on a child’s health and well-being. I’ve suggested the government prioritise support for homes where there are young and vulnerable children.

“And yet, from what I can see, nothing has been done to even investigate how many children are living in leaky homes around New Zealand, let alone give them priority.

“I’ve written to the Minister of Housing and the Chief Executive of the Department of Building and Housing outlining my concerns. They’ve told me children will benefit from the overall package of support for leaky homeowners. This maybe so, but I would suggest children’s vulnerability means their needs should be considered first,” he said.

The Commissioner’s report to the UN outlines other areas where the interests of children are not being considered, particularly around tax policy, welfare options and budget decisions.

“In the last year there’s been a lot of debate about New Zealand’s economic situation. This is usually around how adults will fare. I would like to see much more focus inside government on how policies will impact on children.

“I continue to talk to the government and the Welfare Reform Group about the need for children to be at the forefront of any decisions made. It’s not fair to ignore their needs when they have very little political clout and yet are one of the most vulnerable groups in our society.

“While my report suggests there are encouraging signs of progress for many New Zealand children, I’m concerned about the potential for a widening gap between the haves and the have nots.

“Children are more likely than any other age group, including the elderly, to be living in hardship. It means things like not having enough food to keep them going through the day, constantly being cold in a damp house and going without a trip to the doctor when they’re sick. The impacts are long-lasting – and can mean that children fail to grow into healthy and contributing adults.

“According to the OECD, New Zealand’s investment in children is already low and the rate of poverty too high. If we do not take into account the impact on children of things like changes to the tax and welfare system, we’re at real risk of investing even less.

“When children’s interests are made a priority real advances are possible to achieve. The immunisation programme is a really good example. Improving rates of immunisation was made a priority by DHBs and they stepped up to the mark; targets were set and progress publicised. The rate of immunisation has now increased and means less children will be at risk of serious diseases like measles.”

The UNCROC report says that while children are also benefiting from specific government initiatives, like Working for Families, far more needs to be done to meet obligations under UNCROC. The Commissioner has proposed the UN explore the following general themes in its investigation into the New Zealand government’s performance:

• The weight given to children’s interests and well-being when decisions are made about policy and operational matters.

• The significant disparities between the haves and the have nots – particularly around housing, education and health.

• The level of invisibility and lack of participation by children in New Zealand society.

“The UNCROC is more than simply a good thing to aspire to. We must make progress on its implementation to ensure New Zealand children get the best deal in life. It’s in all of our interests to make this happen.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media