A report
which shows income inequality at its highest level ever and
growing numbers of New Zealand children living in hardship
is a scorecard of Government neglect, Labour’s Social
Development spokesperson Jacinda Ardern says.
“The
Household Incomes Report backs up what most Kiwis already
know – the poor are still poor, middle income earners are
going backwards and those at the top have recovered lost
ground.
“Median income across all households has fallen
by three per cent from 2009 to 2011. That follows 15 years
of steady growth.
“What’s also clear is that without
Labour’s Working For Families tax package things would be
much worse.
“If Paula Bennett wants a measure of
poverty, then she’s got one here. The report shows child
poverty rates remain high at 21 to 22 per cent after
significant reductions in the past.
“Material hardship
– which measures the ability to get by day-to-day, such as
paying the bills and going to the doctor – also rose from
15 per cent in 2007 to 21 per cent.
“The Perry report
indicates that previous Labour policy has prevented the
situation being much worse than it is. Equally New
Zealanders could have been in a far better position had
National been pro-active in addressing issues such as low
incomes and job creation.
“If the Government hasn’t
already realised that Kiwis are suffering, this report
should be a wake-up call,” said Jacinda
Ardern.
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