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Govt’s Child Wellbeing Strategy ‘Shallow And Shameful’ | Scoop News
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document.getElementById('social-media-toolkit-' + network + '-button'); if((typeof button.addEventListener) == 'undefined') { return; } button.addEventListener('click', function() { ga(tracker_ref.tid + '.send', 'social', network, 'Share Button Click', window.location.href); return true; }); }); })(networks[x]); } } </script> </div> </div> <div id="article"> <div class="story-top"> <h1>Govt’s Child Wellbeing Strategy ‘Shallow And Shameful’</h1> <span class="byline"><b>Thursday, 21 November 2024, 10:05 am</b><br /> <b>Press Release: <a href="https://info.scoop.co.nz/Green_Party">Green Party</a></b></span> </div> <p> <p>The Government is turning its back on children by not only weakening child poverty reduction targets, but also removing child mental wellbeing as a priority focus in their Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy.</p><p>“Poverty is a political choice, one that this Government is choosing for our children,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Child Poverty Reduction, Ricardo Menéndez March.</p><p>“Every child deserves to get the possible start in life. We can and we must eliminate child poverty. The good news is that we have the resources to make this happen. The bad news is that this Government doesn’t care.</p><p>“The Government has decided to turn its back on our children by watering down its child poverty targets and now by removing child mental wellbeing as a priority focus. Louise Upston’s justification for this is a joke, but child poverty is no laughing matter.</p><blockquote><p>“It is ridiculous for Minister Upston to justify removing child mental wellbeing as a priority focus because she wants to address material hardship when she is doing the exact opposite. She is making matters worse.</p></blockquote><p>“The prevalence of mould and damp in houses as well as food insecurity have also been removed from child poverty-related indicators. This strategy is shallow and shameful.</p><p>“This Government believes what gets measured is what matters. Their changes to the child poverty-related indicators could have children going hungry and living in terrible housing while showing up as fine in their new measures. This is blatant cruelty.</p> <div class="article-left-box-wrapper"><div class="article-left-box"> <div class="headline-right"><div id="in-cont" style="background:white;"> <div id="txt1" style="text-align:left; font-size:14px; font-style: italic; color: grey; padding: 4px;">Advertisement - scroll to continue reading</div> <div style="min-height:250px;min-width: 300px;"><style> @media screen and (max-width: 768px) {.article-left-box {float: none; margin: 20px auto 20px auto; margin-left: calc( (100% - 300px) / 2 );}} @media screen and (max-width: 970px) {#article iframe { max-width: 100%;}} #article iframe { max-width: 100%;}</style> <!-- /1688062/Scoop_Super-Rectangle --> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1493962836337-4' style="padding: 0 20px 0 0; text-align: center;"> <script> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1493962836337-4'); }); </script> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div> <p>“Minister Upston and her colleagues in cruelty have chosen to allow more children to live in poverty by cutting benefit increases, removing public transport and prescription subsidies and slowing down the building of public housing.</p><p>“Instead of shifting the goalposts and watering down our targets, the Government needs to commit to taking child poverty seriously. We cannot afford to allow more and more children every year to fall into poverty, our children deserve so much better from us.</p><p>“The Green Party would guarantee liveable incomes for whanau, while investing in the support networks that communities need to ensure children have all their rights met - even when times are tough,” says Ricardo Menéndez March.</p> <p> <a href="http://www.scoop.co.nz/about/terms.html" target="_blank"><span>© Scoop Media</span></a><!-- LINKS NOT REMOVED SUB:1 URL:PA2411/S00156/govts-child-wellbeing-strategy-shallow-and-shameful.htm --> <br> <div id="story-footer" style="padding:20px 0;"> <!-- /1688062/Scoop_Story-Footer --> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1493962836337-6' style='min-width: 300px; min-height: 250px; text-align: center;'><div style="text-align:center; font-size:14px; font-style: italic; color: grey; padding: 4px;">Advertisement - scroll to continue reading</div> <script> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1493962836337-6'); }); </script> </div> </div> <!-- <div id="byline-block"> <style> a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}</style> <div class="byline-block byline-block-light" style="background-color:#ebebeb; font-size:16px; line-height:22px; font-weight:normal; border: 1px solid #f55a3f; width: -webkit-fill-available;"> <h4>Did you know Scoop has an Ethical Paywall?</h4> <p>If you're using Scoop for work, your organisation needs to pay a small license fee with Scoop Pro. 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It is pretty rare for the left to feel itself to be in the overwhelming majority, and speaking as the voice of the people. Lest that momentum be lost, the organisers will no doubt be mobilising the contacts they made yesterday, to carry the ongoing fight against this Bill to all parts of the country. (In business speak, the hikoi was a great networking opportunity.) The subsequent nit-picking among the Bill’s fellow travellers was a good indication of just how rattled they were by the massive turnout.</p></a></div> <div id="leader-also-wrapper" style="background-image: url(/images/teal-right.gif)"> <div class="leader-left"> </div> <div class="leader-also"> </div> <h5> </h5> <div class="cleaner"></div> </div> </div> </div><!-- /doubleleft-col --> <div class="section-wrapper"> <div class="cleaner"> </div> <div class="left-col" id="img-float-right"> <div class="story-panel"><a href="https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2411/S00646/single-agency-needed-to-coordinate-climate-adaptation-and-recovery.htm"><h4><img src="https://mc-store1.s3.amazonaws.com/media/nn/beta1-scoop-co-nz/scoopFP/8x8ce4iwPK99NMKt.jpg" width="125" height="100"><i>Infrastructure New Zealand:</i> Single Agency Needed To Coordinate Climate Adaptation And Recovery</h4><p>Based on the successful Queensland’s Reconstruction Authority (QRA) model, a specialised national entity could unify adaptation planning, streamline recovery and response efforts, and improve resilience measures across the country.</p></a></div><div class="story-panel"><a href="https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2411/S00643/fair-digital-news-bargaining-bill-likely-to-restrict-access-to-information-polling-shows-most-oppose.htm"><h4><img src="https://mc-store1.s3.amazonaws.com/media/nn/beta1-scoop-co-nz/scoopFP/iDbQZS_2wC4qPsm3.jpg" width="125" height="100"><i>Free Speech Union:</i> Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill Likely To Restrict Access To Information, Polling Shows Most Oppose</h4><p>At first glance, the Bill could look like a positive way to support journalism, and mainstream media have shown support for it. However, polling shows that voters are sceptical. The results show that 65% of respondents would be very annoyed or somewhat annoyed if they couldn’t access New Zealand news stories through search engines or social media sites.</p></a></div><div class="story-panel"><a href="https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2411/S00623/driver-safety-screens-now-rolling-out-across-aucklands-bus-fleet.htm"><h4><img src="https://mc-store1.s3.amazonaws.com/media/nn/beta1-scoop-co-nz/scoopFP/eapW4cyonqaaBMsT.jpg" width="125" height="100"><i>Auckland Transport:</i> Driver Safety Screens Now Rolling Out Across Auckland’s Bus Fleet</h4><p>Mayor Wayne Brown says he prioritised funds for the safety screen rollout in recognition of the important frontline role our bus drivers play in keeping Auckland moving. </p></a></div> </div> <div class="centre-col" id="img-float-right"> <div class="story-panel"><a href="https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2411/S00605/expect-resistance-community-group-pushes-back-against-more-cops-with-guns.htm"><h4><img src="https://mc-store1.s3.amazonaws.com/media/nn/beta1-scoop-co-nz/scoopFP/eKrtHYXzH0igdVqJ.jpg" width="125" height="100"><i>People Against Prisons Aotearoa:</i> 'Expect Resistance' - Community Group Pushes Back Against More Cops With Guns</h4><p>New Zealanders do not want to see cops walking around with guns. American-style policing will lead to American-style gun violence. </p></a></div><div class="story-panel"><a href="https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2411/S00100/new-zealand-drops-in-global-ranking-on-climate-action.htm"><h4><img src="https://mc-store1.s3.amazonaws.com/media/nn/beta1-scoop-co-nz/scoopFP/ZDBv1tSdm3Qh9Ey9.jpg" width="125" height="100"><i>Greenpeace:</i> New Zealand Drops In Global Ranking On Climate Action</h4><p>If the government won’t hold polluters to account, then people will. People are increasingly taking to the streets and the courtrooms, putting their bodies on the line to shut down polluting industries. This will only escalate further unless New Zealand ups its game.</p></a></div><div class="story-panel"><a href="https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2411/S00099/spending-cuts-need-to-stop-psa-urges-govt-to-listen-to-economists.htm"><h4><img src="https://mc-store1.s3.amazonaws.com/media/nn/beta1-scoop-co-nz/scoopFP/BBGISFUGVb1Flr4Q.jpg" width="125" height="100"><i>PSA:</i> Spending Cuts Need To Stop - PSA Urges Govt To Listen To Economists</h4><p>The economists, drawn from universities, unions and the private sector, are calling on the Government to urgently revisit its fiscal policy stating the economic rationale for spending cuts and deferral of key infrastructure projects was ‘unclear’.</p></a></div> </div> </div> <div class="cleaner"></div> </div><!-- /container --> <div class="right-col"> <div class="headline-right"><a href="https://pro.scoop.co.nz/?source=SPW"><div id="get-more"> <i class="material-icons" style="color:#30A7BF;">work</i> <span>Join Scoop Pro</span> </div></a> </div> 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