Child poverty is a political issue

Child poverty is a political issue but children can't employ political lobbyists and children don't get to vote, says Alliance Party co-leader Kay Murray.

All it takes to give our children a decent start in life is free healthcare, free education, warm dry housing and free school lunches, according to the experts in the documentary Inside Child Poverty which screened on TV3 tonight.

If that is the case, the Alliance Party challenges both National and Labour to explain why children are living in poverty in New Zealand, says Ms Murray.

Why are our government owned state houses cold and damp?

Why don't we have a warrant of fitness for private rental accommodation to bring those houses up to standard as well?

Why can't we have free healthcare?

Why can't we have free education ?

Why can't we give kids free school lunches?

The Alliance Party believes that all of these things are attainable. We have had most of them in the past and other countries such as Sweden still have many of them today.

Ms Murray says every New Zealander would agree that "no child should go hungry and no child should have a preventable disease".

The Alliance has had all of the policies that "Inside Child Poverty" noted would virtually wipe out child poverty, since it was formed in 1992.

Last election the majority voted for tax cuts for the wealthy instead. The Alliance certainly hope it will be different this time around.

ENDS

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