Inheritance is often thought of in positive terms of reward, something to look forward to or seek. When inheritance is poverty, no one is known for putting their hand out and asking for a second helping. Poverty has no friends, yet seems to be in ever-increasing company in Aotearoa, New Zealand, especially among our youngest and most vulnerable members of our society, our tamariki. Data from Stats NZ report a disturbing statistical rise of 2% from 10.5% to 12.5% of our children living in material hardship in just one year. We are quick to jump to these provided statistics, and in unison may quote ‘one in eight children are living in material hardship’ in Aotearoa, New Zealand. [1]
It is easy to call to mind the face of a single hungry child, but what of 143,700 children living in material hardship? Such a staggering number is hard to fathom in our first-world country, let alone visualise. That is 143,700 children going without 6 or more of the 17 consumption essential items such as fresh fruit and vegetables, new shoes, home heating and cooling or regular visits to doctors due to cost and affordability. [2]
We read and hear of our government ‘inheriting’ financial challenges and deficits and using terms such as ‘breaking the shackles of welfare dependency’ [3] presumably in response to some unwritten supreme law being broken and a welfare punishment justly administered. Now, all that is required is to break the bondage of social welfare and secure happiness in the form of financial freedom (if only!). We hear of ‘tax relief, mortgage pain and unlocking housing supply’, [4] evidently this dystopian fable will also provide a pill, a key, and a spoonful of sugar to dissolve the postcode lottery that invisibly divides this country’s wealthiest from its poorest. This is also mirrored in the lack of housing supply versus population growth and demand, with a record high in inward migration and a fall in the number of new housing consents. [5]
Will the rental and government-subsidised public housing be the salvation of this story? Unlikely, as rent continues to rise faster in lower socioeconomic communities than overall inflation, forcing many to the waiting list of housing need. Notably, the public housing supply has grown with just under 14,000 additional public housing units added over six years, yet it falls short by 11,000 units for the need of 25,000. [6]
What is the Child Poverty inheritance of Aotearoa, New Zealand in 2024?
In this bedtime fairytale, there is no gingerbread house. Even if there was a house of magical sugared confection, due to the soaring cost of living and inflation few would be able to afford the ingredients let alone the rent, housing consent, construction materials, labour, or post-dental visits to accomplish this task.
Too many of our tamariki will go to bed tonight without a decent meal in their puku and wake tomorrow hungry. They will not be entitled to the basic human right of safe and secure housing, or the benefits sufficient to provide a standard of living in keeping with human dignity such as healthier foods, adequate clothing, or access to regular medical care.
The moral of this tale? There should be no whakama or stigmatisation of blame in this narrative for those experiencing financial and material hardship. On the contrary, may there be a sense of pīrangi – the hope that with shared knowledge comes the overwhelming desire for change. Perhaps this is not the end of the story for our tamariki, but rather a new chapter. A chapter in which the Government will be held accountable and required to uphold its commitment to reduce Child Poverty in 2024 by investing in a future where not only our tamariki, but our country as a whanau, can flourish and thrive.
We heed the words of Pope Francis:
…the times speak to us of such great poverty throughout the world, and this is a scandal. The poverty of the world is a scandal. In a world where there is such great wealth, so many resources for giving food to everyone, it is impossible to understand how there could be so many hungry children, so many children without education, so many poor people! Poverty today is a cry. [7]
This tale has been loosely based on the quote that the current Government has ‘inherited major challenges’ when addressing child poverty. Let us pray, and hope, that the happy ending we all seek is found in the eradication of poverty. In thought, word, deed, and prayer we continue to echo this cry of the poor in the effort to establish a society where no child is deprived of a serene present or a dignified future. [8]
I runga i te tika me te rangimarie | In justice and peace,
JPCA
Just wait until we address school lunches…
[1] https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/child-poverty-statistics-show-increase-in-material-hardship-for-the-year-ended-june-2023/
[2] Ibid.
[3] Cost of living, inflation push more children into poverty (1news.co.nz)
[4] Ibid.
[5] https://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/news/state-nation-2024-shows-ongoing-deepening-pressures-individuals-and-families-across-aotearoa
[6] Ibid.
[7] https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2013/june/documents/papa-francesco_20130607_scuole-gesuiti.html
[8] https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/poveri/documents/20230613-messaggio-vii-giornatamondiale-poveri-2023.html, 7.
Leave a Reply