Child poverty documentary exposes failed policies

The Alliance says a documentary screening tomorrow on child poverty in New Zealand is an indictment on the failed right wing policies of the last generation.

Alliance Party co leader and Dunedin South candidate Kay Murray says she was grateful for the offer from the producer of the documentary 'Inside Child Poverty' to view an advance screening of the documentary.

'Inside Child Poverty' will screen on TV3 on Tuesday 22 November at 7.30pm.

Ms Murray says she was blown away by the stark reality of life for too many children and their families in our country, and sickened by the knowledge that it doesn't have to be this way.

The offer of an advance screening was made to the leaders of all political parties, though apparently the National Party chose to ignore the offer.

Ms Murray says while that is disappointing it is not surprising.

"This sums up National's whole attitude to child poverty in New Zealand. National has its head in the sand on child poverty. John Key should have been not only watching, but taking notes."

'Inside Child Poverty' pulls no punches about the causes of child poverty and what needs to be done to alleviate it, she says.

"I think everyone in New Zealand should view this documentary before they go to the polls on Saturday because child poverty is a political issue. Our political parties are either part of the solution or part of the problem."

The Alliance supports an immediate raise in the minimum wage to $17 per hour, a lift in benefit levels, the removal of GST, an immediate state housing programme, free health care and school meals if required to deal with the immediate effects on poverty on New Zealand children, to be funded from a progressive tax system including a financial transactions tax and capital gains tax that excludes the family home.