The trouble with the prime minister making promises is that most of us expect her to actually keep them.
When she was in opposition, Ardern’s Poverty Reduction and Eradication Bill languished in the member’s bill ballot for four years, so it was no surprise after becoming government that she promised to make child poverty her priority – but she hasn’t done it.
If anything, children are more at risk now than they were then, especially Maori. Every week Oranga Tamaraki removes three Maori babies from their families. 59% of children in state care are Maori, and they are over-represented in our appalling child violence and death statistics too.
Every couple of years we read yet another report on the link between child violence and poverty. Government agencies tell us, the Salvation Army tells us, and media harks on as well. We even attracted the attention of the United Nations and an international children’s rights group.
This week Simon Shepherd on Newshub Nation asked Professor Laura Lundy, editor of the International Journal of Child’s Rights, what advice she would give to New Zealand based on what she has heard and seen about our child rights.
“Core advice at the minute is you are going to be in front of the [United Nations] committee on the rights of the child in the year after next, and they are going to ask some, I think, very definite questions from what I’ve have heard. One of the things, they are going to ask about your wellbeing strategy.”
Remember Ardern’s Well-being Budget 2019? Ardern said it was “another step we are taking to reduce child poverty.” The Wellbeing budget was applauded internationally and, naturally, child welfare groups took note.
“I’m not sure they are going to be satisfied with it. I think they are going to welcome the fact there is a well being strategy, but they are going to be asking about what you’re actually doing to implement children’s rights and the convention and the rights of the child and your well being strategy is not the same. It’s a different thing.
So their second question they’re are going to ask you is what you are actually doing to ensure that the convention and the rights of the child is incorporated into law and that is coming in at the minute in little piecemeal bits and pieces. I think they are going to push NZ to have legislation that incorporates the [CRC] convention.
I think they are going to push more, certainly on the… the circumstances of your most marginalised children, I think that’s going to be a very big focus, and I do think they are going to be emphasising um… initiatives that aren’t involving children, perhaps voting age, the things that they are looking at the minute.”
Transcription Newshub Nation
Lundy is needling Ardern about her indisputable failure to address Maori child poverty and she is putting pressure on Ardern to introduce more CRC initiatives. Lundy hints that lowering the voting age is one initiative to impress the UN and says Ardern must do more. Lundy identifies Ardern’s Achilles heel which is non-performance.
“Your budget – is there transparency in how much you spend on your children? Are you spending enough on your children compared to other west […] as other really rich nations like NZ? I mean you’re a tiny population really and you’re a rich population that just feels that they’re just going to push you to do a lot better than you’re doing.”
We are always disadvantaged in per capital comparisons because we are a small country making it difficult for us to keep pace with bigger population base countries, but Ardern thinks spending solves any problem.
We ratified the “Convention on the Rights of the Child” (CRC) in 1993 when we were in love with the UN, believing it would solve the ills of the world. How things have changed, but we are still bound by international law to uphold CRC principles, and Ardern, in love with the UN, is anxious to please them.
The CRC was ratified by all UN nations except the US. Obama called the US failure to ratify the Convention ’embarrassing’ and promised to review it, but never did. Presidents Clinton and Obama were prevented from doing so by Republicans who feared losing autonomy to the UN. Trump would also subscribe to that argument and acknowledge the risk of government being targeted by marginalised groups for compliance funding, who, if denied, could bring civil lawsuits under US law.
We went from being “at risk” of funding marginalised groups to “agreeing to do so” when last week Oranga Tamariki agreed to notify Tuhoe whenever Tuhoe children were coming into their care, to ensure those children would be placed only with Tuhoe, who no doubt will want additional funding for their people and for housing their own children.
Ardern can add this to her “how to impress the UN” list, but the precedent is made for all Maori – despite no public discussion on whether this is best for the children or what the cost will be. It suits Ardern and it suits Maori, end of story.
Ardern’s Achilles heel is her inability to deliver on promises, which ensures that the axe of child poverty will be chasing her down at the UN inspection in two years. In the meantime, there will be a flurry of UN pleasing legislation which will make no practical difference to ending child poverty and reducing child violence and deaths.