1st August 2017

Calling All Parties: Do You Support a Fair NZ Or Not?

The urgency of New Zealand’s crisis of inequality and poverty has prompted the income equality group Closing the Gap to join more than 35 other organisations in calling for immediate action on three fronts: incomes, housing and taxes.

Spokesperson for the group, Peter Malcolm, said all 37 members of the Equality Network including Closing the Gap, agreed that this crisis demands urgent action, and that cross-party commitments are essential.

“New Zealanders of all political stripes are worried about the damage being done by our high levels of inequality, especially around homelessness and child poverty,” he said. “Crises like earthquakes and floods, even overseas wars, have brought us together in the past, so why can’t we come together to make a fairer society?”

Mr. Malcolm said Closing the Gap, and the Inequality Network, are calling on all parties this election season to commit to action in three key areas:

• Income for all through a living age and fairer income support

• A Government-funded house building programme

• A tax on very high levels of wealth and higher tax rates on the highest incomes

The Equality Network is presenting these issues to Parliament from the parliamentary grounds at midday today.

“All of us need to put pressure on candidates and parties to commit to taking action in these three crucial areas, and if they won’t, to explain themselves,” he said.

“Now is the time to demand change, and all of us are the ones to do it,” he said.

LINK: Equality Network:

http://www.equalitynetwork.org.nz/

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