Election 2008

Labour Party - Response to policy request Contributing to an Election 2008 feature in Kiwi Parent

These responses reflect the policies and actions of Labour in government. The Labour Party’s detailed policy for the next parliamentary term and beyond will be released closer to the election.

Parenting Environment— Taking into account housing affordability, the rising cost of food and high rates of inflation, what is your party’s view on creating an environment where mothers and fathers can parent effectively?

In government Labour has been dedicated to securing the highest possible living standards for families. Our priority has been to create sustainable economic growth and increase the supply of quality jobs, so that families can be supported through paid work.

Three out of four New Zealand families have benefited from Working for Families, which combines tax credits with support to meet childcare and accommodation costs. On average a working family is $57 a week better off as a result.

Labour acknowledges the financial pressures on many hardworking Kiwi households. The programme of tax cuts we will announce in this year’s Budget will help relieve that pressure – while we also commit to maintaining our vital investments in health, education and other services.

National Party - Response to policy request Contributing to an Election 2008 feature in Kiwi Parent

By John Key MP

National backs families and we back parents. Parents play an absolutely critical role in the development of their children, and they are the glue that binds our communities together.

We believe that every government agency should respect the role that responsible parents play. They should respect parents’ views about what’s best for their children. And they should give responsible parents more say over how services are provided to their children and their families.

Green Party - Response to policy request Contributing to an Election 2008 feature in Kiwi Parent

Parenting Environment – Taking into account housing affordability, the rising cost of food and high rates of inflation, what I your parties view on creating an environment where mothers and fathers can parent effectively?

The Greens believe that everyone deserves a standard of living that enables them to participate in their community with sufficient income for their personal and family's well-being. Our considerable income support and affordable housing policies seek to achieve these ends. Specificpolicy highlights include:

- A Universal Child Benefit with the ability to capitalise it towards a home deposit.
- A tax-free threshold of $5,000 of everyone's income.
- Initiatives to encourage third sector/community-based housing, such as co-operative housing, eco-villages, self-built, sweat equity housing, shared ownership, and papakainga housing.
-An increasein the proportion of state houses in Housing New Zealand’s rental market.
- An immediate increase in the minimum wage to $15/hour and improvements to the welfare system.

Maori Party - Response to policy request Contributing to an Election 2008 feature in Kiwi Parent

Parenting Environment - Taking into account housing affordability, the rising cost of food and high rates of inflation, what is your parties view on creating the right environment where mothers and fathers can parent effectively?

What is very clear is that poverty plays a central role in whanau wellbeing. One of the three foundational pillars of the Maori Party is that of whanau, and accordingly, we support the need for better financial support of families through an increased minimum wage ($15 per hour) and increased incomes for benefit dependent families through raising real benefit levels and extending Working for Families to beneficiary parents (i.e. reinstatement of the family tax credit to all families). Alongside this, there needs to be additional resourcing to further develop whanau restoration programmes (such as Project Mauriora), and ‘whole of whanau’ initiatives.