Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

TOP gives Greens full marks for trying on parental support

Opportunities Party gives Greens full marks for trying on parental support

At The Opportunities Party (TOP) we’re so glad the Greens are joining us in choosing to address child poverty with policy that is supported by high-quality scientific evidence.

Strong evidence shows that cash is what works best to help vulnerable families thrive. Families are most vulnerable to falling into poverty when their children are young. Living in poverty creates massive stress and this stress affects brain development. For parents it can lead to other problems like substance abuse and domestic violence. It is no wonder that kids living in poverty are more likely to be two years behind their peers when they start school.

The Greens want to include all families in paid parental leave whether they are in work when their child is born or not. We support this policy. There is no doubt it will help many vulnerable families.

But paid parental leave only lasts for 10 weeks. That is less than 3 months before the money runs out and mums have to start making hard choices about going back to work and finding decent child care. Half of families with children under 5 experience at least a year of poverty.

The Opportunities Party knows that New Zealand can do more. We know the first three years of a child’s life are the most important for their development. That’s why we will support parents for the whole three years with KiwiWage (or UBI), an unconditional basic income of $200 a week. After that, we will make sure all 3 and 4 year olds have access to free, full time, high quality early childhood education.

The Greens are doing good work, but they are still stuck in the mentality of tinkering within the current system. What we need is radical, yet rational, change. That is what TOP is offering.

You can find out more about our Thriving Families policy here: http://www.top.org.nz/top7.

Vote for Fairness.


Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.