“Despite New Zealand’s income inequality being amongst the highest in the developed world, the National Government seems determined to persist with policies which deliberately worsen life for those who already have least,” says AAAP spokesperson Sue Bradford.

Speaking with Paul Henry on TV3 this morning John Key played down child poverty figures and the prospect of any serious Budget measures to relieve the situation.

“Despite New Zealand’s income inequality being amongst the highest in the developed world, the National Government seems determined to persist with policies which deliberately worsen life for those who already have least,” says AAAP spokesperson Sue Bradford.

“Mr Key does not accept MSD’s figures on child poverty.  Nor does he seem to care that New Zealand’s child poverty rates have fallen by less than half a percent since 2008[1].

“He continues to display blithe disregard for the desperate situation which affects hundreds of thousands of people on a daily basis.

“As an urgent first step, Auckland Action Against Poverty calls on the government to:                                                                        

* Lift benefits to levels people can actually live on without going into constant debt to rapacious rip off merchants and to the government itself through Work & Income topups.  

*Ensure the ‘In Work’ component of Working for Families applies to all children, not just some.

*Start building and acquiring state houses urgently to house the thousands of people who are currently homeless or in shockingly substandard accommodation.                                                             

“AAAP believes that people who are unemployed, sick, injured, disabled and/or sole parents – and their children – deserve the same support as our older citizens.  Super is now paid at a much higher rate than working age benefits.

“It is a shocking ‘blame the victim’ mentality that keeps so many people deliberately locked into poverty.

“While we would love to see Mr Key and his colleagues take serious action in the Budget this Thursday, it’s pretty clear that’s not going to happen.

AAAP will be holding a protest at John Key’s post-Budget speech to business leaders:

‘Our austerity is their prosperity’

11.30am Friday 22 May, Sky City, Auckland.

ends