Increased funding needed to halve child poverty

The government wants to halve child poverty within the next decade, and the funding to do this is expected to be a key part of the government's Wellbeing Budget this week. Official figures show more than 250-thousand children are living in poverty and Hawke's Bay paediatrician and former Children's Commissioner, Russell Wills, says in particular, the plight of the poorest Maori and Pasifika children has worsened over the last 10 years. While he applaudes the new target, he told our reporter Laura Dooney, achieving it will only be possible if there's more social housing, more income for the poorest families, and changes to the benefit system.