As Aotearoa heads towards another election, child poverty is once again emerging as a major battleground issue, with the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) warning that poverty rates are not inevitable but the result of political decisions.
CPAG spokesperson Isaac Gunson says the country’s child poverty figures reflect choices made by successive governments about welfare support, housing, income assistance and investment in children.
Recent data shows that while both Labour and National-led governments have achieved periods of progress in reducing poverty rates, gains have often been short-lived. Material hardship among children remains stubbornly high, and in some measures has worsened despite legislative commitments to tackle the issue.
At the centre of the debate is the Child Poverty Reduction Act, which set ambitious targets, including halving child poverty by 2028. However, advocates argue current settings are falling well short of what is needed to achieve those goals.
CPAG says rising living costs, increasing housing pressures and inadequate income support for many families have combined to leave thousands of tamariki without the resources needed for a healthy start in life.
The organisation argues that future governments must learn from the successes and failures of previous administrations. While targeted assistance and income boosts have shown they can reduce hardship, progress has often been undermined by policy changes elsewhere, particularly in housing and welfare.
For CPAG, reducing child poverty requires treating it as a long-term national priority rather than a short-term political issue.
The group is calling on the next government to make child wellbeing an immediate focus during its first 100 days in office. Key priorities include increasing income support for low-income families, improving housing affordability and ensuring welfare policies provide enough for families to meet basic needs.
As election campaigning intensifies, CPAG says voters should closely examine what parties are offering for children and families, arguing that the choices made after Election Day will determine whether child poverty continues to rise or begins to fall.
For many advocates, the message is clear: child poverty is not an unavoidable outcome but a challenge that can be reduced when governments choose to put children first.
