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Labour leader David Cunliffe says Labour’s Best Start package will address many of the issues of child poverty identified in the Salvation Army’s Striking a Better Balance state of the nation report.
He says 25 percent of children are growing up in homes with incomes under the poverty line of 60 percent of the median income, and that number is increasing.
Mr Cunliffe says it’s not acceptable that one in four New Zealand children is growing up in poverty.
"And it’s really important we give every kid the best possible start. You’ve got to house them, you’ve got to clothe them, and you’ve got to maker sure that they get the education opportunities right from the get go and that’s what our best start package does," he says.
Best Start includes paid parental leave to 26 weeks or a $60 a week payment for the first year in a child’s life, as well as more money for early childhood education, especially in Maori and Pacific communities.
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