26 September 2014

Great Opportunity For Prime Minister to Lead Charge To Reduce Child Poverty

“The New Zealand Medical Association’s call that the Prime Minister should start instigating the recommendations of the Health Select Committee’s 2013 report on ‘Improving Children’s Outcomes’ is right on the mark” says former chairman, Paul Hutchison.

“The fact the Prime Minister has said he will order Treasury and the department of Prime Minister to look at new innovative ways of tackling child poverty should only be welcomed across New Zealand” says Dr Hutchison.

“Our cross party report has added strength because of the consensus reached and was praised nationally and internationally. It emphasises the work of James Heckman Nobel Laureate who shows that early intervention investment from very early on (preconception), pays huge dividends compared to late intervention. ‘It is an investment approach.”

“The Select Committee’s recommendations include

• Establishing an overall action plan for reducing child poverty
• Constructing policy objectives to give every child the best start in life
• Establishing an integrated, whole of government approach to service delivering for children
• Progressing policies to address disadvantage for all children, covering poverty, discrimination, healthy housing, optimal nutrition, access to health and education services (especially reproduction health and maternity) and safe home environments.

Dr Hutchison says “ the National Government has achieved a huge range of accomplishments in the economy, health, education, housing and social development in the least six years including the ‘Children’s Action Plan’ and ‘Vulnerable Children legislation’. They borrowed $60 billion dollars to ensure services were not only accessible but improved post the economic crisis.”

“ The Prime Minister’s initiative is refreshing, and I agree entirely with the NZMA that the Prime Minister and his officials should rapidly analyse and start instigating the Health Select Committee’s recommendations.”

© Scoop Media

Scoop Post Election Podcast: The River Of Freedom Documentary Review

After recording a River of Freedom review the Scoop Political Podcast went into hibernation. Now with a new Government formed it’s time to dust off this forgotten silver and look at the impact this documentary, about the Wellington parliamentary protest of 2022, had on Election 23. Watched by potentially tens of thousands of voters in the weeks prior to the election River of Freedom was not likely to have won votes for the then Labour government. More

Gordon Campbell: On The Skewed Media Coverage Of Gaza

Now that he’s back as Foreign Minister, maybe Winston Peters should start reading the MFAT website which is currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of how Kiwis alerted the rest of the world to the genocide in Rwanda. How times have changed ...

In 2023, the government is clutching its pearls because senior Labour MP Damien O’Connor has dared suggest that Gaza’s civilian population - already living under apartheid and subjected to sixteen years of an illegal embargo, and now being herded together and slaughtered indiscriminately amid the destruction of their homes, schools, mosques, and hospitals - are also victims of what amounts to genocide. More