September 12, 2012
Green bill seeks benefit for poorest children
The Green Party has launched a campaign to build support for its private members bill to extend the in-work tax credit to beneficiary families.
Co-leader Metiria Turei says the way the credit is structured leaves large numbers of children, including a disproportionate number of Maori children, in dire poverty.
While National, Act and United Future say they won’t support the bill, Ms Turei says it’s important to have the debate about what support should be given to the poorest families.
“The Government rejected a universal child payment. They’ve rejected school food; they rejected increasing the minimum wage, now they’re rejecting a targeted child payment to the poorest kids in New Zealand. They don’t want to accept any solution that will help the kids who needed it the most, and that’s a conversation the country needs to have,” she says.