Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
MEDIA RELEASE – fOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

13 February 2009

Caritas Calls for More Support for those in Greatest Need

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand says the Government’s transitional relief package for people made redundant is an admission that the welfare “safety net” is no longer adequate for many New Zealanders in their time of need. The Catholic social justice agency made the comment in a submission on the Government’s 2009 Budget Policy Statement.

While it supports in principle redundancy relief packages in the face of the current economic downturn, Caritas says social security assistance has been whittled away over the last 15 years.

“The relief packages proposed by both major political parties in the final weeks of the election campaign were an acknowledgement that the vast majority of New Zealanders would not be able to support their current essential financial commitments on the present rate of social security benefits,” says Caritas in its submission. There was an “urgent need” to address the shortfall, but consideration also needed to be given for those already on benefits.

In other points in its submission, Caritas says proposed tax cuts needed to be passed on in their entirety to all taxpayers, including beneficiaries and superannuitants; and that New Zealand must maintain and enhance its commitment to international aid and development.

It reminds decision-makers of the key principles they needed to remember in this period of financial insecurity:

• To consider the impact any decision will have on the most poor and vulnerable members of our society
• To continue to understand that the economy exists to serve the people, and not the people to serve the economy. This means continuing to honour and respect the human rights and responsibilities of all citizens, including their economic rights.
• To ensure that New Zealand’s tradition of “caring for the underdog” extends to the poorest members of both our own society and the global community.

“The measure of how just our society is will be how well we look after our most vulnerable members during this period of economic crisis.”

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is a member of Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of 162 Catholic aid, development and social justice agencies active in over 200 countries and territories.

ENDS.

- A copy of the full submission is attached.
Budget_policy_statement_submission_final.doc

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