27 November 2012: News from CPAG

Child-poverty documentary a ‘must-see’

Child Poverty Action Group says a ground-breaking documentary on child poverty in New Zealand is compulsory viewing for all New Zealanders.

Multi-award winning producer and presenter Bryan Bruce’s Inside Child Poverty documentary will re-screen on TV3 tonight at 9.30pm.

CPAG spokesperson, Associate Professor Mike O’Brien said, “We are delighted that TV3 is re-screening this documentary. It has played a significant role in raising the issue of child poverty in New Zealand. We believe it is a must-see for all New Zealanders.

“As the documentary says, New Zealanders are good people and we can fix this problem if we choose to. No child in New Zealand should be hungry, cold or ill due to preventable disease. Child poverty is not a party political issue; it is a moral and ethical issue. Our politicians need to know that New Zealanders do want to invest in children and their future.”

Featured in the documentary is CPAG's ongoing fight for the rights of 230,000 children through legal channels. The case is to be heard in Court of Appeal in early 2013. CPAG urgently needs funds to support their action: see http://www.cpag.org.nz/infocus/

--ENDS--

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>