Green Co-leaders visit South Auckland School

Green Party Co-leaders Metiria Turei and Dr Russel Norman visited Edmund Hillary School today to highlight their Party's election priority of getting 100,000 kids out of poverty by 2014.

"Papakura is a great place to live. But it has some challenges: there are some areas of deprivation in this community. Our plan to get 100,000 children out of poverty will directly help these kids," Mrs Turei said.

"With a median income of $22,800 in Papakura, raising the minimum wage immediately to $15 an hour will help families provide for their kids.

"Our plan to extend the In Work Tax Credit to the most vulnerable families would mean that the almost 800 families in Papakura that rely on the Domestic Purposes Benefits would have $60 extra in their pockets a week.

"Sole parents make up one third of families in Papakura, reintroducing the Training Incentive Allowance would give those families the extra help they need to get into training that will lead to a better future for them and their children.

"Almost half of Papakura lives in a rental property. We think it is important that those homes are warm and healthy for kids, which is why we would create minimum performance standards for rental properties.

"The Greens will ensure that kids who live in rental properties get warm dry healthy homes.

"Our insulation scheme will support landlords and tenants to upgrade to warm healthy homes.

"Our policies will deliver better health and economic outcomes that give these kids the start in life they are entitled to.

"Our plan offers support, opportunity, and hope to the people of Papakura," Mrs Turei said.

Papakura facts

• Median income is $22,800.
• Number of rental properties is 2,142 out of a total 5,091 private occupied dwellings.
• There are 3,945 One Parent Families in Papakura.
• In 2006 there were 459 people whose main income was the unemployment benefit, 378 sickness benefit, 792 Domestic Purposes Benefit, and 375 invalids benefit.