When I was Head of Oxfam New Zealand, I learnt through research that 58 of the world’s richest people would fit in a double decker bus, with as much income as half of the global population.
That made headlines around the world, not only because it was a startling statistic, but also because it confirmed what many people already knew.
The rich have been getting far richer, but most people are struggling.
This is not an inevitable price of progress.
The reason for extreme inequality is that the rules are stacked in favour of the rich and powerful. The Greens believe that it is time to make the rules fairer and to make our society more equitable.
Suffering children
Inequality means that children do not have the same opportunities in life – not enough nutritious food, cold and damp houses, poor health, parents who cannot spend time with them and not enough money for decent shoes and clothing.
One in four children in New Zealand is currently being brought up in poverty.
That should be unacceptable in our society. Instead of support for children, the government has prioritised tax cuts for the richest 10%.
Reducing inequality is not only good for the poorer children and their families, but research has shown that a more equal society is good for all of us, since they ensure better health, education and quality of life.
Equal society
As the World Bank has shown, a more equal society improves the economy for the benefit of all.
There are also obvious benefits from reducing poverty, like reducing crime and violence, which are issues of deep concern to the Indian community.
More punishment and ever-bigger prisons are not the answer but intervention has to start at an early age – in early childhood, in order to address the causes of crime and violence.
The Green Party will break the poverty cycle and ensure that all children have opportunities to thrive.
We will provide income support for the families that are currently falling through the cracks in the social safety net, the beneficiary-headed households.
Vulnerable children
It is their children who are most vulnerable and most in need.
The Green Party will create ‘school hubs’ in decile 1-4 schools to ensure that children are able to learn. This means each school will have a nurse, a lunch fund and support services.
The school hubs will also provide free after-school care and the Greens will extend the Early Childhood Education subsidy so that it starts when children are two years old.
We will also ensure that free GP visits are extended until children turn 18 years old.
Investment, not welfare
This Programme will cost around $1 billion, but it should be regarded as an investment in our future, not welfare. The costs of poverty are estimated at around $6-8 billion, and tackling inequality will reduce these costs over the longer term.
Beyond these savings, the main benefit will come from unleashing the potential of a generation of children, who will have opportunities that their parents never had. This is essential if we are to build a richer, fairer and more compassionate society.
New tax bracket
The immediate funding for this programme will come from a new tax bracket of 40% for income over $140,000. This means 3% of New Zealanders who earn over $140,000 will pay an additional 7% in tax for the income above $140,000. This would still mean that New Zealand has one of the lowest peak taxes amongst OECD countries, below Australia, the US and the UK.
The Green Party is also prioritising a cleaner environment and a smarter economy.
Other benefits
These policies will also contribute to the society, for example through lower costs of electricity, a $2000 tax-free threshold (using the income from a climate change levy on polluters) and affordable public transport.
The costings for our Programme have been independently verified, and we have a credible pathway to return the government’s books to surplus (earlier than the government’s projections).
The Green Party has proven leadership. We have credible policies and we are committed to cleaning up politics.
We love New Zealand and the kiwi sense of a ‘fair go’.
It is now time to make a fairer society a reality. Party vote Green.
Barry Coates is the Green Party candidate for Mt Roskill and is number 16 on the Party List. He was previously Executive Director of Oxfam New Zealand for ten years. He has a degree in Economics and a Masters from Yale University. Website: www.greens.org.nz
