September 10, 2014
Action call on child poverty
The Child Poverty Action Group is calling for cross-party action to eliminate child poverty in New Zealand.
The group has released an action plan, Our Children Our Choice, setting out what could be done.
Spokesperson Professor Innes Asher says many New Zealanders seem unaware of the size of the problem and its effects on society and the economy.
She says 200,000 children now live in severe poverty.
"That’s a huge number of children who have their chances to reach their potential limited by being brought up in poverty. Disproportionately Maori and Pasifika kids are affected but also 40 percent of them are European kids as well so it affects everyone in society, and we can't afford as a nation to have such a loss of potential of our lovely tamariki," she says.
Professor Asher says for many children poverty means living in cold, damp homes where the parents must choose between paying the electricity bill or putting food on the table.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH INNES ASHER CLICK ON THE LINK
http://irirangi.net/listen-online/radio-waatea.aspx?id=B2313A3F-64F5-4215-8525-91BF4E460223
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