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Green Party co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson. Photo: RNZ
Green Party co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson. Photo: RNZ
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson has made the party's first major election announcement,revealing plans to tackle poverty.

Davidson said today the Green Party's Poverty Action plan would "replace our outdated, unfair and unliveable welfare system with real, unconditional support for us all".

It included a proposed Guaranteed Minimum Income, which would provide anyone out of work with at least $325 a week after tax - and those working part-time would also be able to access further help.

The party is also proposing an additional family support credit of $190 a week for the eldest child and $120 for their younger siblings. Sole parents would receive an additional $110 a week, "to recognise the incredibly difficult task of raising children on a single income".

The Poverty Action Plan would also increase the Best Start payment to $100 a week for each child under three years old.

"Supporting families through their babies' precious first years is one of the most important things we can do as a country," Davidson said.

With the Greens in government, ACC would be reformed into an "Agency for Comprehensive Care", she said. It would support people who were injured or sick with at least 80% of the minimum full time wage, or up to 80% of the salary of the job they had to leave.

"Gone will be the days where people are asked to provide humiliating proof again and again and again", she said.

In regards to funding the Poverty Action Plan, Davidson said those with a lot of wealth would "pay it forward".

"If you're a millionaire, for the wealth you have over that one million dollars, you will pay a one percent contribution," she said. "That will increase to a two percent contribution for wealth over two million dollars."

Two new tax brackets would also be introduced, for those earning over $100,000 and $150,000.

"This is about creating a society where we can all move forward - not just the wealthiest few."

 

Comments

The Greens have completely abandoned any pretense of economic literacy.

You're too kind, your comment infers that that had economic literacy to start with.

Jealousy makes terrible policy.
Watch the droves of the people they want to pay for eveything, disappear, leaving more people with no jobs and dependant of the government.... It's almost like that's the end goal, dependant people are easier to control (of course it's the end goal for these watermelons, green outer, red inner)