The Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Diocese of Auckland says that while the Government has made an encouraging effort to meet the needs of the poor and vulnerable in the COVID-19 crisis there are some omissions.

Caritas Direct Julianne Hickey says "In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team of 5 million New Zealanders have done an incredible job of protecting the sick, the elderly and those most vulnerable to the virus."

"Now we need innovative investment to help us all create a fairer society in which no one is left out, and all can thrive."

"In addition to the obvious health threat, the pandemic has also presented us with a tremendous opportunity to put right some long-neglected injustices," said Hickey

"This reset can be an opportunity to heal the afflictions of poverty, intergenerational unemployment, homelessness and environmental degradation."

"Now is the time for bold and decisive investment to build our future," Hickey concludes.

"In the Budget, we find a foundation of hope; now we must ensure that all New Zealanders are able to contribute to and benefit from the opportunities that will arise from the more cohesive, resilient society that we rebuild together."

The Auckland Diocese Peace and Justice Commission say they appreciate how difficult it has been for the Government to prioritise and allocate financial assistance at this unprecedented time.

"It's encouraging that people's wellbeing, both health and economic, have been carefully considered in the 2020 Budget."

They applaud the measures taken to support families the extension of the Wage Subsidy Scheme and the increased foster care allowance and unsupported child benefit.

But they think there are still needs to be addressed particularly in housing.

Source

• Supplied: caritas.org.nz
• Supplied: aucklandcatholic.org.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

"Earlier in the year, we supported the intergenerational wellbeing approach being taken in this year's Budget," said Caritas Director Julianne Hickey.

"It is good to see a longer-term approach being adopted for social investment."

Caritas welcomes the greater focus on mental health, young people and children, housing long-term homeless people and increased support for beneficiaries.

The litmus test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable citizens.

However, Caritas is disappointed to see no significant increases for refugee resettlement and support and refugee family reunification in 2019/20.

While increases are projected for the years 2020-2023, it is only an additional $69,000 per year.

"With the annual refugee quota rising next year, and more settlement centres planned, we need to ensure new arrivals are properly welcomed and included," said Mrs Hickey.

"Migrants are an integral part of our nation. They add to the cultural diversity and richness of our communities. We still have some way to go to truly ‘welcome the stranger'."

Caritas is seeking a commitment to expand the Community Organisation Refugee Sponsorship scheme, following the successful pilot scheme last year.

"This has made good progress and is an excellent example of a community-led initiative supported by government." said Mrs Hickey.

Caritas also welcomes a stronger commitment in the Budget to cut carbon emissions, encourage sustainable technology, and adapt to climate change.

"But the transition to a zero- carbon economy must not come at the expense or neglect of the poor," said Mrs Hickey.

"Adaptation to climate change in Aotearoa New Zealand needs to take into account the needs of low-paid workers and people living in isolated or poorer areas.

We have highlighted these issues for people in South Dunedin and coastal Northland through our annual State of the Environment for Oceania reports."

Supplied

The government will, however, still need to demonstrate how money reaches those at the grassroots and most impacted by poverty.

They are still keen to hear how the Government will report against a broader set of well-being indicators and demonstrate its commitment to intergenerational welfare.

Julianne Hickey, Caritas Director, says "Today's budget promises a significant investment to increase support for family well-being and reduce child poverty."

In our January Submission on the Budget Policy Statement, we referred to Climate Change as the ultimate intergenerational issue.

There are no second chances for people whose homes are being impacted by rising sea levels and extreme weather events - both here in New Zealand and among our Pacific neighbours.

"We are pleased to see joined-up thinking in climate change initiatives such as the Climate Change Commission, but we believe they do not go far enough and do not move quickly enough.

The government needs to move faster on transforming New Zealand into a prosperous low carbon economy" said Mrs Hickey.

We need to have an integrated approach to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, responding to disasters, and climate change.

Caritas welcomes the increased investment in relations in the Pacific. The real challenge will be to ensure that this investment benefits the poor and vulnerable.

In sum, we believe the government is taking a step forward. The real test will be in monitoring progress towards the goals that have been set.

Are the actions being taken leading to lasting transformation for those families and communities that need it most?

Click here to read Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand's written and oral submissions on the Budget Policy Statement

Supplied

Speaking as a panellist on the topic "Implementation of Socio-Economic Rights'" at the Attorney-General's 15th annual conference, he congratulated government on its initiatives and said the generous allocations for education would bring a radical change in parents' ability to send their children to school.

At the same time, Barr said he hoped assistance would continue as Fiji still had a long way to go "if we are to adequately address the basic socio-economic needs of so many people in Fiji today."

Source

• Fiji Times
• Image: MailLife.com

The Holy See finances for 2011 recorded a deficit of 14.9 million euros ($NZ22.9 million). Its budget covers the Vatican Secretariat of State and its worldwide diplomatic missions, Vatican congregations and pontifical councils.

The Vatican blamed the poor outcome on high personnel and communications costs and adverse market conditions, particularly for its real estate holdings.

The deficit in the Holy See finances was in spite of a 50 million ($NZ70 million) gift from the Vatican Bank and increased donations from dioceses and religious orders.

The Peter's Pence Collection — used by the Pope for charitable and emergency works, but not included in the Vatican's budget — showed an increase, from $US67.7 million ($NZ84.8 million) in 2010 to $US69.7 million ($NZ87.3 million) in 2011.

The biggest contributions to this fund come from the United States, Germany and Italy.

Meanwhile, the autonomous Vatican City State, which employs nearly 1900 people, recorded a surplus of 21.8 million euros ($NZ33.5 million).

The bulk of its income in 2011 came from the Vatican Museums, where increased visitor numbers — more than five million in 2011 — were encouraged by extended opening hours.

Among the expensive items covered by the Holy See finances are the communications operations of Vatican Radio, the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano and Vatican television, which produce little or nothing in revenue.

Father Federico Lombardi, who runs the Vatican radio and television departments and is also the Vatican spokesman, said there are no plans to reduce the Holy See's 2832 staff, but that savings must come from elsewhere.

Sources:

Catholic News Service

Associated Press

Image: David Blackwell

Caritas Director Julianne Hickey says the Catholic agency assesses the impact of Budget measures through the lens of the common good: what will contribute to and achieve the full human potential of each of us and of all of us? ‘Catholic social teaching sees a person as more than their cost or value on a balance sheet. A myopic view of people simply as economic units cannot enhance our wellbeing as a society.'

Mrs Hickey says it is hard to see the full impact of Budget changes because, while the detail of new spending has been given, the detail of ‘savings' or cost-cutting is less transparent. However, she says aspects of the Budget seem hard to understand or even illogical, particularly where funding cut-backs are occurring apparently in areas of priority to government.

‘For example, it is shortsighted to set goals that beneficiaries with young children will return to the workforce and that participation in early childhood education will increase, while simultaneously making formal childcare less affordable by freezing childcare subsidies. It is shortsighted to open an Advanced Technology Institute to increase skills in science and technology, while simultaneously eliminating student allowances for post-graduate study.

‘Similarly, it is shortsighted to set goals to increase educational achievement at NCEA level, while reducing class-to-teacher ratios. And it is shortsighted to partially sell state-owned power companies to fund infrastructure development in rail - which is only required because of past, failed experiments in privatisation.'

Read Caritas Press Release

Image: Zimbio

Continue Reading

But the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees at Hato Petera College in Auckland says the Budget has not brought much help to their school.

Janice Smith says the Board of Trustees is grateful for 2% increase in their operating budget, but it won't make it much easier for the Maori co-educational school, which has about 100 pupils, to make ends meet.

She says it has been increasingly difficult for Hato Petera, which is a decile three school, to keep up with increased costs, as it can't rely on fundraising in the community.

Ms Smith says every year Hato Petera College enrols a number of year nine students whose standards of literacy are well below what's required.

Over the next four years $19.087 million will be allocated to Maori language early childhood education services to be spread over four years. Spending is aimed at getting more tamariki into Maori pre-schools - including kohanga reo services.

There is also an increase in what is called Equity Funding - money to support and help children achieve educational success, particularly Maori and Pasifika students.

That initiative will receive nearly $50 million over four years - and will be spent across the entire early childhood education sector.

Source

• Radio New Zealand
• Radio New Zealand
• Image: DomPost

The Herald reported that Meredydd Barrar, spokesman for newly formed Coalition for Social Justice, said that they intended to take action during the World Cup which might include flour-bombing Eden Park.

Lisa Beech from Caritas said that Caritas and the Auckland Catholic Justice and Peace Commission "absolutely do not support, and do not want to be seen to endorse, any suggestions of flour-bombing Rugby World Cup games."

"The New Zealand Herald article is misleading, presenting views of some individuals as if they were representative of the wider Coalition," she said. "The primary concern of Catholic groups is the mission to speak out for the human dignity of all, and to work for the common good."

Barrar told ONE News that comments he made have been taken out of context. He said he is not planning a repeat of the 1981 Springbok tour protest.

Source

• New Zealand Herald
• Image - TVNZ

Caritas director Michael Smith said the Catholic agency had looked for a budget which would protect the human dignity of the nation's most vulnerable people, while enhancing the common good of the whole community.

‘Budget media releases about increased spending on military youth employment schemes do not reveal the reprioritisation which meant funding cuts to community-based violence prevention programmes. What else is being lost in the movement of funds? The information to analyse this is not provided in the thousands of pages of Budget material,' said Mr Smith.

The lack of transparency about the real meaning of ‘reprioritisation of spending' and public service ‘back-room' cuts means New Zealanders still remain in the dark about the impact on the poor.

‘Moving funding from back-room to front-line services makes a good sound-bite. But removing $5.2 billion from public sector spending over five years could make some front-line services ineffective. It is like removing our backbone so that our hands can do their work. It is likely to be counter-productive.'

‘Publicly announced changes fail to address the growing gap between the beneficiaries of last year's tax cuts and the increasing hardship of many of our poorest citizens,' said Mr Smith.

The budget is at best, indifferent, and at worst, blind to the needs of the poor.

'Thousands of New Zealanders are living in hardship beyond their personal control; whether as a result of job losses caused by the 2009 global financial crisis, or the emotional and physical devastation of the Christchurch earthquake,' said Mr Smith.

‘The Budget was an opportunity to build community solidarity and cohesion through spreading the load and sharing the pain. Instead, many struggling households will find only changes that eat into household budgets, already tightened by increased costs of basic items such as food and fuel.'

The long term impact on the incomes of the poorest New Zealanders cannot be known from the Budget, as it does not address the government's welfare working group recommendations.

‘This remains a threat hanging over the heads of beneficiaries. It is causing considerable stress and anxiety for many people living with disabilities, illness, unemployment or a responsibility for dependent relatives,' said Mr Smith.

He said the Catholic agency recognises the difficult economic circumstances of the 2011 Budget. ‘We accept that some changes may have been inevitable, such as those for higher earners receiving Working for Families support. However, $35,000 is a very low earning threshold at which to introduce abatement rates when you're talking about changes for the "higher-end" incomes.'

Caritas will continue to examine the detail of the Budget. ‘We want to assess the reality of the new public spending environment on New Zealand's poorest and most vulnerable citizens.'

Source

• Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
• Image: Econofix

It is revealing that if you Google - NZ Budget 2011 Poor- you will find a lot of comment about Standard and Poor, and the fact that the Budget "staves off" a credit rating down grade. There is not much comment about "the poor" The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) says the changes in the Working for Families regime will see lower income families getting some small increases in their weekly wage, but this will be more than negated by the additional costs imposed by Kiwi Saver and the increases in costs on food, petrol, accommodation and other basic necessities says

"The changes made in this Budget tend to cement in these inequalities and build on last year's tax cut rational of making the better-off better off and the worst-off no worse of. The kind of change that will make a real difference to our foodbank, budgeting, family counseling and social services clients is an increase in the minimum wage, benefit levels and access to income related rental accommodation. This will create hope and provide a pathway forward for the most vulnerable in our communities."

Source

• The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services
• Image: DomPost