Spike in need confirms child poverty modelling 28 Jul 2021 12:15 PM
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The chief executive of South Island Whānau Ora commissioning agency Te Pūtahitanga says the Government should act on a report showing more child poverty as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Child Poverty Action Group estimates there was a 10 percent increase in child poverty in the year since the first lockdown in March 2020, with tamariki Māori and Pacific children around 2.5 to 3 times more likely than Pākehā children to have been pushed into poverty.
Helen Leahy says that fits with Te Pūtahitanga’s experience of exponential growth in requests for assistance, with 7000 applications over the past three months for basics like help with power, firewood and getting kai on the table.
Child poverty increasing through Covid choices 27 Jul 2021 13:45 PM
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Child Poverty Action Group is blaming Government neglect for an increase in poverty, inequity, homelessness and food insecurity for tamariki Māori and other children in the first year of Covid-19.
Researcher Janet McAllister says it was thanks to the collective efforts of iwi, hapū, community organisations, schools, whānau and families - and low-income children themselves - that the crisis of poverty was not even worse.
A new report by the group says an additional 18,000 children were probably pushed into poverty in the 12 months to March 2021, even without taking rising housing costs into account.
Changes in youth homelessness and chronic absences for low-income students were also worse for Māori and Pasifika than for Pākehā (European New Zealanders).
Reducing child poverty is one of Ardern’s signature issues. In her newly created role as minister for child poverty reduction she introduced legislation in 2018 that set out to create political accountability for reduction targets.
But data released earlier this year shows that progress is moving at a glacial pace, with many vulnerable children still living in damp, unaffordable homes and with families that run out of food. More children than ever are living in motels as the public housing waitlist booms.
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2.10pm: Wallabies granted ‘economic’ travel exemption
The Australian rugby team has been granted a travel exemption to enter the country due to “economic reasons”, the government has confirmed.
The Wallabies will travel from their Queensland base on a charter flight to Auckland on Friday. As with all other arrivals, they will require a negative pre-departure test within 72 hours of travel.
In a statement, sport minister Grant Robertson said the trip was economically important for New Zealand.
“A test match is estimated to be worth between $17-20 million in spending for host regions, while the broadcast rights provide much needed income for the sport, which positively effects all levels of the game,” Robertson said.
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