Labour welcomes Child Poverty Action Group support

The Child Poverty Action Group report released today confirms Labour's policies on children and child poverty are on the right track, Labour Deputy Leader Annette King says.

"The Child Poverty Action Group has mirrored much of the policy that has already been announced by Labour," Annette King said.

"A Minister for Children, child impact assessments of existing and new policy, good parenting support and training allowances all feature as part of Labour policy.

"I am pleased that so many organisations are coming together with the shared view that we must all do better for our children.

"Labour also believes that the eradication of child poverty in this country needs to a priority, in order to achieve that Governments must enshrine in legislation milestones and goals.

"I was horrified when Minister of Social Development Paula Bennett last week told Parliament that she was unable to say whether her Government had done anything to lift a single Kiwi child out of poverty. Because they did not believe measuring child poverty was important

"For Labour lifting children out of poverty is unfinished business and we will be announcing further policies that deal with this hugely important issue in the near future.

"We know there are anomalies in the in Work Tax Credit portion of Working for Families and we have been looking at how we address that issue.

"We will be ensuring that our policies on health, housing, education and welfare all play a role in helping to lift children and their families out of poverty.

"It is important that governments have the best information to work with. Refusing to further fund the University of Auckland's Growing-up in New Zealand study following 7000 children from birth, is short-sighted and contrary to the Government's own claim that policy needs to be evidence based," Annette King said

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