“The Greens say the Government is making a political choice not to end child poverty, by not spending an additional $3 billion. If ending child poverty was as simple as government spending a few billion more taxpayer dollars, the Greens would have well and truly ended it while in government,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“From 2019 to 2023, non-pension Welfare Benefit Expenses increased from $12 billion to $18 billion while unemployment was fractionally lower in 2023. Even allowing for record inflation of 19 per cent in that period, the real increase was far more than $3 billion. And yet, child poverty was virtually static in that period. (The COVID Wage Subsidy Scheme began in 2020 and ended in 2022, so doesn’t affect these figures).

“Despite the Government making a political choice to pump an extra $3 billion per year into welfare, child poverty barely moved in this period. The Greens don’t need to speculate what would happen if a government spent an extra $3 billion dollars to end child poverty.

“The Greens are right about some things, however. Child poverty is a problem in New Zealand, and it is a political choice. New Zealand’s children need a government that makes choices based on values proven to defeat poverty.

“The only true path out of poverty is building the individual’s capacity to provide for themselves and their family. There are no examples of anyone escaping poverty though dependence on others.

“I’m proud to be part of a government that believes the path out of poverty is paved by better school attendance and achievement, making it easier to develop resources and build homes, getting more investment into New Zealand, and ending open-ended welfare in favour of mutual obligation."

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