It was the line of the debate:
Bill English ‘discovered poverty last week’ – Jacinda Ardern
Labour leader Jacinda Ardern has heavily criticised National’s Bill English’s response to poverty, accusing him of only recently putting it on his agenda.
In the final TVNZ Leaders Debate, Ms Ardern claimed National had been failing to acknowledge and fix issues including child poverty and the housing crisis.
“I think people looking forward to the future already know what National is going to deliver to them, they’ve had nine years to test what that looks like,” she said. … “You discovered poverty last week, that’s what happened,” …
…
“Then why are there kids living in cars? Why are there kids going to school without food in their tummies?” she asked. …
National has ignored and denied the issue of poverty in NZ for the last 9 years. They have refused to implement an official poverty measure so that they cannot be held accountable for their failure. But look around at the increasing homelessness, the rising child disease and malnutrition, the crises in food banks, the crises in mental health and the record suicide rates. There it is.
National has been forced to acknowledge poverty during the election campaign. But it they get to form the next government the record of the last nine years suggests that they will forget it again just as quickly.
Do you want to vote for that?
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