Child Poverty Action Group backs Salvation Army report on Pasifika community

CPAG has come out in full support of the Salvation Army's report on the state of New Zealand's Pacific community.

The report paints a grim picture of Pasifika people struggling to catch up with non Pasifika communities and urges policy makers to address issues such as education, employment, crime and housing.

CPAG spokesperson Donna Wynd says CPAG congratulates the Salvation Army on this important piece of research.  "It clearly shows Pacific people have borne the brunt of the recession and it is well past time the government took action to address the housing and income issues faced by many Pacific families."

The report found that income-based family assistance such as that available through Working for Families does not deliver for Pacific families.  "They are more likely to have lost jobs and often lose a portion of their family assistance when this happens resulting in a double disadvantage," says Ms Wynd.

She says this particular finding was timely given CPAG'S court appeal in Wellington early next week that challenges the Working for Families In Work Tax Credit as being discriminatory.

ENDS

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