Unicef and children’s charities are urging the New Zealand government to do more to help the most vulnerable in society after a Guardian report highlighted the extent of child poverty in the country. Child advocates and politicians called on the government to investigate and accurately measure the extent of child poverty around the country. “We have had emails and phone calls from colleagues around the world expressing shock at this level of child poverty in New Zealand,” she said. It said inadequate incomes, expensive and low-quality housing, and poor policies were contributing to an increase in child poverty. The Green party’s co-leader, Metiria Turei, said she believed child poverty had become so extreme because the government refused to acknowledge the problem for what it was – “a crisis”.

Source: The Guardian August 17, 2016 08:37 UTC