www.wairaka.net/ubinz/IR/pov99/1999B19HeraldChildren.html

NZ Herald, 19 November 1999
 

The request took a few political party staffers by surprise. Can you fax a copy of your policies relating to children?

Children? Hmmm, that could take a bit of time to put together.

The problem is that for most parties, despite the sometimes intense heat on children's issues, there is no definitive policy titled "Children."

Instead, a bit is grabbed here and a bit there from a variety of portfolios.

For example, New Zealand First has already announced an extension of free health-care for under-6s to the age of 8.

National is promising to put more social workers in schools.

It is not that these bits and pieces do not add up to a substantial amount and would not be great for kids.

But - say veteran children's lobbyists - what is needed is a specific child focus and for most parties, it is not there.

Some do. Labour has a fairly comprehensive child package in its welfare policy, as well as other portfolios.

The Alliance has the most comprehensive package. That is because it has pretty much adopted the child policy promoted by the lobby group Children's Agenda, fronted by Dr Ian Hassall, the country's original Commissioner for Children.

Commentators are wary of parties that have nothing to lose making sweeping promises they may not be able to pay for.

Traditionally, says Dr Hassall, policies for children have been the first to be quietly dumped when the new party suddenly has to come up with spending priorities, as happened with some parts of the coalition agreement between New Zealand First and National.

"I did get excited about the coalition document because it had a number of good things to say about children - and in the following Budget they were the first things to be axed."

Nevertheless, Dr Hassall says the rhetoric about children that has escalated this election campaign is great.

It may boil down to politicians talking in sound-bites - but it reflects a growing sense of concern about the plight of children, he says.

High poverty levels, overcrowded poor homes and Third World diseases, depression and a sense of hopelessness faced by too many young people are issues needing urgent attention.

So what does he see as the most important policy changes that could be implemented for children?

Number one in importance, in the short-term, is affordable housing.

Labour promises to scrap market rents and return to income-related rents for state house tenants, where no family would pay more than 25 per cent of their income on rent.

It would keep the accommodation supplement for private sector tenants.

National would continue with market rents and accommodation supplements and its strategy of selling old state houses. But it also plans to build plenty of new state houses.

Dr Hassall says overcrowding in inadequate, expensive housing is behind many difficulties and illnesses and prevents children from being able to learn and achieve.

In the long-term, the most important change is creating a sense of belonging for young people - a sense of national pride beyond whether the All Blacks win or lose.

This would help combat unacceptable youth suicide rates and depression.

Some parties say creating employment would help fix that problem, and Dr Hassall says that is true as long as the employment is not part of a trend towards low-paid, part-time work leaving working poor as badly off as the unemployed.

But the suicide/sense of hopelessness problem goes much deeper.

"Suicide is about not feeling that life is worth living and having no prospects."

He likes the attention that is being given to issues such as local content in broadcasting because that helps to achieve the important sense of belonging.

Income levels are a different matter with clear differences between parties.

Dr Hassall says Jenny Shipley's infamous 1991 benefit cuts when she was Minister of Social Welfare were a mistake that led to even bigger gaps between rich and poor.

"There needs to be some alleviation of that and I haven't heard anyone talking about restoring the level of the benefit, which would have a direct benefit for children."

Auckland economist Susan St John is part of Child Poverty Action, also aligned with the Children's Agenda.

She agrees that unaffordable housing is the single biggest issue facing the poor and says Labour and the Alliance are streets ahead of other parties in promising to scrap market rents.

For Children's Agenda the whole thing is simple, says Dr Hassall.

"It's just a matter of taking notice of children, or not."

With our ageing population, he says. we cannot afford not to.
 

NEW ZEALAND FIRST: Various benefits for children in health policy and party's youth plan. Includes starting national health screening for children aged under one. Extend free doctor visits and prescriptions from age five to eight. A national immunisation register. A public sexual health campaign for teens. Nurses to prescribe contraception to young people, where appropriate. Cut unemployment.

ACT: Integrate education, heath and welfare policies so children enter school "ready to learn." A big campaign to "break the cycle of failure in dysfunctional families." Pre-school education accessible to all. Expand early-intervention programmes for at-risk families. Fight poverty with lower taxes, cut red tape, and improve the Employment Contracts Act to create more jobs.

NATIONAL: Many strategies within policy, such as Strengthening Families for at-risk families. Expand intensive home visiting Family Start programme. Increase social workers in schools to at least 70. Set up national database on children. Supports idea of a transparent system reviewing all child deaths. Certain legislation to be reviewed.

LABOUR: Wide-ranging policies including a section called A Children's Agenda. National conference on children's policy. Legislation considered for impact on children; transparent independent reviews of child deaths. Research effects of public policy on children. Make Commissioner for Children an officer of Parliament. Extend Family Start. Funds and resources for social services and family group conferences. Also, nationwide dental health system, paid parental leave and encouraging at-work childcare facilities.

ALLIANCE: Child impact reporting on legislation. Commissioner for Children to be independent officer of Parliament. Free health-care for all. Improve mental health services. Free education. Paid domestic leave to cover care of sick children. Encourage employers to have crèches. Paid parental leave. Increase minimum wage. Network of sports academies.