ADVANCE New Zealand

A new political design for our economic future

MEDIA RELEASE

Date: Tuesday, 31 July 2007

KILLING THE FUTURE

The child abuse problem is not peculiar to NZ - indeed it is a global tragedy of immense proportions with over 10 million kids per year (UNICEF figures) dying of preventable causes and until the essential driver of the problem is tackled it will remain a blight on the development and growth, both material and spiritual, of individuals, families, communities and indeed the wider society.

The question being asked is why do some people attack children?

The answer is obvious in that such people have reached a point where they step over what society deems as 'acceptable' behaviour and the solution is to identify not only why they have done that but what needs to be put in place by 'society' to ensure the line society draws in the sand is not crossed.

For over 20 years many money reformers have argued for an interventionist policy where families who are not coping are identified and money is put into the resources needed to provide the families with a program that gives them the skills to fill the shortfalls around their abilities.

The prime reason that such solutions are not already in place is because it will cost and as we are informed almost every day by the politicians, economists and defenders of the economic status quo "there is only so much money available and spending it on programs for people who maim and kill their kids is really a waste of precious resources".

The prevailing political mentality of simply throwing benefits at them serves only to reinforce the entrenched behaviour around the causes of the problem. Unfortunately the political mindset has always been that it takes less taxpayer money in the short-term to keep a lid in the issue by periodically giving it a kick in the guts (usually in an election year) than put in the money needed to build long-term solutions through programs that dissect the issue and puts in place targeted solutions such as teaching families the skills needed to succeed - as viable individuals, as viable families and as viable communities within society.

The reality is that unless properly funded long-term interventions are put in place the cost of the ongoing adverse outcomes and the debate around the issue will be a burden on future generations of taxpayers.

ENDS

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