15,000 strong petition calls for a Budget to end child poverty

Source: Child Poverty Action Group

At 3.30pm today local children will join members of ActionStation and representatives of UNICEF, Child Poverty Action Group, NZ Council of Christian Social Services, the Equality Network and Tick for Kids partners to deliver a 15,000 signature petition calling on the government to take real action on child poverty in tomorrow’s Budget.

"The goal of this petition was to highlight the need for a Budget that delivers real change for children and prioritises investment in them," says ActionStation National Director, Marianne Elliott, "So when Paul Henry criticised the Prime Minister earlier this week for backtracking on his election promise to take real action to end child poverty, our members knew their efforts were paying off."

Child poverty regularly topped pre-election polls as an issue of concern to New Zealanders in 2014 and at the time all political parties assured voters that, if elected, they would take real action to end child poverty in our country.

"The Budget is a key opportunity for the Government to deliver on its promise to the nation's children," says UNICEF National Advocacy Manager, Deborah Morris-Travers. "15,000 New Zealanders have added their voices to our calls for a Budget that will end poverty for New Zealand children so that they can all be healthy and do well. Children have been missing out for too long and the public is calling for action to address this national crisis. Poverty is not inevitable - policy can make a big difference."

This petition was a joint effort bringing together grassroots campaigning organisation ActionStation and child poverty experts like UNICEF and the Child Poverty Action Group, who helped shape the specific policy ask in the petition.

"If all poor children are to have the opportunities they need to grow and thrive," says Child Poverty Action Group spokesperson Susan St John, "government must do far more than tinker around the edges of this problem. New and significant spending is required to fix flawed policies that act to exclude the poorest children."

The petition calls on Prime Minister John Key, Minister of Finance Bill English and Minister for Social Development Anne Tolley to ensure that Budget 2015 treats all children equally, and boosts the incomes of the poorest families in New Zealand, by extending child-related tax credits to the poorest children, who currently miss out.

"We know what it would take to turn around the lives of hundreds of thousands of New Zealand children living in poverty," says Elliott, "And we have the resources to make it happen. What we need is political courage, grounded in strong public support, and that’s where our members come in."

The petition will be delivered at Parliament by local children, ActionStation members and representatives of the campaign partners at3.30pm on Wednesday 20 May

Petition link: http://www.actionstation.org.nz/endpovertynz

More information and references: http://www.actionstation.org.nz/endpovertyfaq

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