10. SUE BRADFORD (Green) Link to this
to the Minister for Social Development and Employment
Does he agree with the Prime Minister’s statement that “huge progress” has been made towards eradicating child poverty; if so, can he explain the results of today’s Unicef report on international child poverty, which found New Zealand to be one of the worst countries for keeping children safe and healthy?
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE (Minister for Social Development and Employment) Link to this
Yes; New Zealand can be justly proud of the huge progress we have made in the three areas that comprise the material well-being section of the Unicef report. In the area of child material deprivation, we are reported as being sixth out of the countries reported. In the area of households without jobs, we are reported as being 18th in the OECD, based on the year 2000 data. Back then, the household labour force survey unemployment rate was averaging 6 percent; it is now 3.7 percent and we are ranked among the top four countries in the world. In the third area of relative income poverty, we were ranked 18th, based on the 2001 data. Since that time the Working for Families tax credits have substantially changed that position. At the end of the 2007-08 tax year we will have reduced the percentage of children living below 50 percent of the median income level, from 15 percent to 4 percent, which will place us in the top five countries of the OECD, alongside Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway.
Is he concerned, nevertheless, that by discriminating against beneficiary families with the Working for Families package, his Government has exacerbated the inequality and deprivation that still face some of our children; and what action will he be taking in response to the recent statement from the Child Poverty Action Group, that “minimum incomes still need urgent Government attention”?
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE Link to this
Can I remind that member and other members of the House that beneficiary families have received an average weekly amount, through Working for Families components, of $32 from the end of October 2005, compared with the previous year, and from 1 April 2007 all families, including those on benefits, will receive an extra $10 per week per child; because of the policies introduced by this Government since 1999, from 2008 all families with children earning less than $35,000 a year will effectively pay no tax, at all. Almost all families with incomes below $45,000 receive significant gains. Nearly all sole parent families receive extra money from the Working for Families package as a whole, and the combined effect of all the Working for Families changes to family assistance is an estimated average gain of $64 per week from 1 April 2006, rising to over $80 per week by 2008. In terms of the question of the comment made by Dr Turner from the Child Poverty Action Group, I draw the member’s attention to the earlier part of the quote, which was: “CPAG research showed that current Government policy was helping a lot for many low-income families. Overall there had been significant improvement on the 90s, when a lot of policy damage was done.”
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE Link to this
I can understand the National Party not wanting to hear that—and then the statement continued with the comment the member quoted.
Madam SPEAKER
Dianne YatesHon DAVID BENSON-POPE Link to this
I think it is very significant indeed. Incomes have risen. The medium income has risen 32 percent between the last two censuses. Employment has increased, and there is lower unemployment. Members will know that 115,000 people are now not reliant on a benefit. With the Working for Families package, at 1 April $1.6 billion annually will be channelled to lower and middle income families—money that the National Party wanted to give to its friends instead. In the area of income-related rents, $417 million a year benefits 84,000 children in 59,000 families. And the list is not yet complete.
Pita ParaoneTēnā koe, Madam Speaker. Does the Minister share the concern of Unicef New Zealand Advocacy Manager, David Kenkel, that the report shows: “There are countries out there with far fewer resources than us, but they are doing much better than we are.”, in relation to child welfare; and does he believe that simply throwing money at the issue is the main solution to our appalling child welfare statistics?
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE Link to this
Yes and no. I draw that member’s attention to the comments made this morning by Barnardos Chief Executive, Murray Edridge, who said: “How should we respond to the conclusions of this report? Shall we engage in unseemly political point-scoring? Shall we blame the Government and avoid personal and community responsibility? Or shall we take a good hard look at ourselves? The children of this nation demand we do the latter, and if we have any sense of responsibility for the future of our society, that’s exactly what we will do. Perhaps the most important question of all, however, is whether New Zealand society has the capacity and maturity to engage in constructive public discussion of the findings of the report.” I would like to thank the questioner for the question. That is exactly what I propose to do.
Can the Minister explain why the quality of New Zealand data is inadequate for the purposes of comparison, to the extent that the Unicef Innocenti researchers were not able to include New Zealand in some of their more important measures—for instance, New Zealand does not even participate in the UN’s Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study, which is recognised by most other OECD countries as a vital tool for planning for future well-being?
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE Link to this
That is an issue that the Children’s Commissioner raised yesterday with me. I am happy to discuss that further with my colleagues, and report back to the questioner.
Tēnā koe, Madam Speaker. Does the Minister support the belief that New Zealand’s shocking child welfare statistics are a societal issue; if so, what is being done to change how New Zealand, as a whole, values and cherishes our children?
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE Link to this
Yes, I do, and I think my earlier answer makes my and the Government’s attitude quite clear.
Does the Minister agree with Dr Gay Keating of the Public Health Association, who says: “We need a major rethink now to show we value our children, as a result of this report.”; if so, does he also agree that removing any legal defence for violence against children by passing my bill to repeal section 59 of the Crimes Act would be a step in the right direction?
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE Link to this
Yes, I do, and I believe that, as a result of some of the comments we have heard on this matter this morning, a large number of members of Parliament and members of the public share that member’s and my view.