Poverty
About Poverty
How we treat those who are struggling is one of the key markers of a compassionate society. We’re committed to investigating the reality of poverty and deprivation in New Zealand, with the purpose of contributing well-researched policy recommendations that have the potential to transform and redeem the lives of our neighbours who need help.
Most Recent Activity
Creating better opportunities for work
By Danielle van Dalen
New Zealand is in the middle of a national conversation on poverty, and yet, despite being over-represented in the poverty…
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Two-and-a-half cheers for child poverty bill
By Alex Penk
I was born at the tail-end of Gen X, so I grew up with a pop culture saturated by “fear…
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Mana in Mahi isn’t your average work-for-the-dole scheme
By Kieran Madden
Translated to “strength in work,” Labour’s Mana in Mahi scheme shows real potential to make a difference in the lives…
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Irresponsible lenders on borrowed time
By Julian Wood
While borrowing money at an annualised interest rate of up to 693% wouldn’t appear at the top of anyone’s wish…
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Submission: Child Poverty Reduction Bill
By Kieran Madden
Maxim Institute supports this Bill and proposes amendments to strengthen it. We welcome this Bill and its potential to increase…
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Promises and plans to change poverty in New Zealand
By Kieran Madden
A few weeks ago, my colleague wrote about Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s “courageous move” to introduce the Child Poverty Reduction…
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Labour’s courageous move on poverty
By Jeremy Vargo
Labour’s announcement last week of the Child Poverty Reduction Bill was almost instantly hailed by many as a huge step…
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Discussion Paper: Acknowledging Ability
By Danielle van Dalen
People who are living with a disability are vastly overrepresented in New Zealand’s poverty figures, and 74 percent of those…
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Save Social Investment
By Kieran Madden
National’s Social Investment Approach must stay, but not as we know it. Imagine, for a moment, that policies are cars….
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Investing in people, regardless of return
By Julian Wood
Like the proverbial frog in the slowly heating pot, many of us are blissfully unaware of the change currently going…
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The State must serve
By Kieran Madden
Is the government’s flagship Social Investment approach simply the “incremental privatisation of social services?” When journalist Richard Harman posed this…
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The trust trade-off
By Kieran Madden
The Government is going all in on its Social Investment strategy for fixing social ills, but the big data it…
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Creating opportunities to contribute
By Danielle van Dalen
Last week New Zealander Robert Martin took up his position in Geneva as Spokesperson for Disabled People on the United…
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Valuing access to work
By Danielle van Dalen
Unemployment is costly. It costs the unemployed person and it costs society. For plenty of people with disabilities this cost…
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Poverty in New Zealand – The Heart of Poverty research series
By Kieran Madden
Every society tells a story about the good life, getting a fair go, or what it takes to live well. Sadly,…
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Welfare to work?
By Kieran Madden
Just where do people go when they move off a benefit? It’s a serious question that demands an answer. Why?…
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Removing the barriers
By Danielle van Dalen
I was 12 when my grandfather lost his eye and was declared officially blind. In the following months and years…
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The true cost of getting “Ready for Work”
By Julian Wood
Labour’s “Ready For Work” policy is a great idea. Unveiled at the party’s conference, the plan offers on the job…
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Not helping harms us
By Julian Wood
Last week the Hamilton Central Business Association enacted the “Your Help May Harm” campaign, aiming “to educate the public on the…
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Posturing doesn’t help those facing poverty
By Alex Penk
“I know that’s not PC, but you know, that’s me,” said Judith Collins last week as she commented on child…
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