Ministerial Committee on Poverty

Members of the Committee include Hon Bill English, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Finance (Chairman), the Ministers of Health, Education, Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, Social Development, Social Housing, Māori Affairs and  Whānau Ora, and Ms Marama Fox (MP and co-leader of the Māori Party).

As a working committee, it looks into the circumstances that trap people in poverty and providing them with real opportunities to make changes and choices.

The Committee focuses on:

the effectiveness of current approaches and responses against a backdrop of Better Public Services and getting value for money for taxpayers. raising education achievement, providing employment opportunities and safe, secure homes for families/Whānau.

The Committee meets at least every quarter.

See: Ministerial Poverty Committee making progress - media release from Hon Bill English, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Finance, and Hon Tariana Turia, Minister Responsible for Whanau Ora.  8 August 2012. 

See also: Research into New Zealand Income Mobility and Deprivation - related information release on the Treasury website. Released 9 May 2012.

See: Cabinet Paper 'Six Monthly Report of the Ministerial Committee on Poverty' (April 2013) published as a PDF file below. Released 31 May 2013.
(Note that Appendix 2 of the Cabinet Paper can be viewed here: Government’s response to the Children’s Commissioner’s Expert Advisory Group on Solutions to Child Poverty. (Beehive website).

See also: media statement from Prime Minister Rt Hon John Key, 27 May 2013, Funding boosts to help vulnerable children – PM, and media statement from Minister for Social Development Hon Paula Bennett, 28 May 2013, Breakfast programme part of the solution. (Beehive website).