The UN has said in a damning report that it is deeply concerned about New Zealand’s persistently high rates of child poverty. The UN committee’s report acknowledges widespread public debate and media attention on child poverty in New Zealand, but expresses serious concern about the government’s failure to address the issue systematically. Both groups are disproportionately represented in child poverty statistics. The government of the National party is urged to take a systematic approach to tackling child poverty, and to establish a “national definition” to measure child poverty, something it has repeatedly refused to do. The children’s commissioner, Andrew Becroft, challenged the government and opposition parties last week to cut child poverty rates by 10% by the end of 2017.

Source: The Guardian October 07, 2016 18:00 UTC