August 21, 2014
Tory policy making Maori poorer
The Green Party says Prime Minister John Key’s refusal to acknowledge New Zealand’s a poverty crisis is damaging the wellbeing of Maori and Pasifika people.
Co-leader Metiria Turei says new research from Victoria University shows Maori are getting poorer, sicker and less likely to be employed under National.
Researcher Lisa Marriott found gaps were growing between Europeans and Maori and Pasifika people in health, knowledge and skills, employment, standards of living, cultural identity, and social connectedness.
Ms Turei says there are 35,000 more children living in severe poverty under National and the incomes of the lowest half of all Kiwis have not moved in six years.
She says National's answer is more of the same for the next three years, which will be a disaster for those at the bottom of the income ladder, particularly Maori and Pasifika people.
The Greens want to put the top tax rate up to 40 percent for incomes over $140,000 and use to extra income to address child poverty.
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