Calls for Incoming Government to Address Child Poverty w/ Susan St John: November 13, 2023

The National Party has promised to halve child poverty by 2028, and has committed to stick to the targets outlined in the Child Poverty Reduction Act, however many are worrying that not enough policy has been outlined in order to achieve this. The party’s policy of the Independent Earner Tax Credit will start in April next year and targets the “squeezed middle”, but will provide little relief for families who rely on welfare to survive. 

Susan St John is an associate professor at the University of Auckland Business School, and has recently published an opinion piece in The Conversation, titled “If NZ’s new government wants a simple fix to improve child poverty, here’s what it should do” urging the party to do more to reduce child poverty. Rosetta spoke to her about how she believes the tax credit system needs to be altered in order to support low income families more.