26 May 2017

Budget 2017 Conservative Response

While it’s great to see low income earners get a boost of finance this budget, until the brokenness of families, which is the real cause of crime and substance abuse, is addressed, spending on police, prisons and mental health will continue to grow.

Sadly, the problem is neither a mystery or a secret, it has been highlighted in numerous studies here and abroad and, like gorse in the backblocks, it will continually increase without intervention.

Family breakdown is a major cause of child abuse, child deaths, child poverty and youth crime, and government policies that strengthen families will save billions of dollars in Police, social welfare and prison budgets.

Unfortunately, money is not the major waste when we look at family breakdown. The biggest waste is that many New Zealanders will never reach their full potential and you can’t buy back lost opportunities.

The Conservative Party calls on the government, and opposition parties, to work together to address family breakdown, and if they need some ideas they can head to our website www.conservativeparty.org.nz
ENDS

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