Feeding New Zealand's child poverty problem

It's troubling to know that child poverty has become a big problem in New Zealand. Despite being considered "developed" or "first world" by many countries, a trend has emerged over the years and it seems the problem is only getting worse. In 2010, The Ministry of Social Development reported a shocking 270,000 children in New Zealand are living in poverty.

From Inside New Zealand: Inside Child Poverty. Source: tv3.co.nz

The current government has been under pressure, for quite some time, to implement a scheme to feed children in lower socioeconomic areas. In 2011, Labour deputy leader, Annette King said "The prime minister has been in denial about this country's poverty problem for years."

So it plagues the question... How did poverty become such a big problem in this country?

Obviously not an easy question to answer.  It seems to have gradually occurred, and probably wasn't helped by the global financial crisis felt around the world in recent years. But it has to make you wonder where the responsibility actually lies, when it comes to malnourished children in our schools.

Is it really something the government should be responsible for? Granted, they have a social responsibility to ensure people can get help and change their circumstances. But it's difficult to see why the ultimate responsibility should lie with them, when the parents or caregivers should be responsible for these things.  Charles Dickens once wrote "Charity begins at home." An old adage that is even more relevant now, than it may have been in Dickensian times. It's also something that should be taken into account when trying to solve this prevalent poverty problem some are experiencing.

Instead charities like KidsCan have been established to supply kids with some of the bare essentials. They boast some impressive statistics; 60,000 All Blacks raincoats, 5 million food items, 25,000 pairs of shoes and 50,000 pairs of socks are just some of the things that have been distributed by the charity since 2005. They even have a World Vision style scheme, where you can sponsor a kiwi kid for only $15 a month.

Now although I think an organisation like this incredibly commendable, one problem I have is the way they approach the PR aspect of the charity. It's almost as if they exploit the whole idea, to a point where it all seems somewhat sensationalised for the sake of getting donations. To understand what I mean, take a look at this TVC that was a part of their "Support a New Zealand Child" campaign...

As you can see, even their website and print material features images of sombre and disheveled children. It's all a bit too much! Why can't they show happy children? Messages of aspiration as well as inspiration could be a much better approach, rather than trying to guilt people by using images of child models and actors with a bit of dirt rubbed in their hair and face.

But although their PR efforts may indeed be a little loaded, what I find even more troubling is that they don't find out what the root of the problem is... they seem too busy dealing with the effects, rather than finding a solution to the cause. It's almost as crazy as the Queensland government giving needles and syringes to junkies, it just enables them to continue their current behavior and never changing their ways.

If everyone else is supplying New Zealand kids with bare essentials that parents should be responsible for, like socks and shoes, then what kind of culture are we creating? I think it's fair to speculate that if we continue this trend, it could cause Kiwis to become co-dependent on government and charities. There may also come a point where people expect these things, and don't ever think of getting it themselves.

Mana party leader, Hone Harawira, has even started lobbying for a bill, due for it's first reading in July. This "Feed the Kids" bill proposes the government spend $100 million a year, to implement a program that supplies breakfast and lunch in all decile 1 and 2 schools. Hone Harawira's bill appears to be yet another way parents can relinquish certain responsibilities. What's next, free housekeeping services for families with 3 or more children? It's unlikely I will ever be convinced that this bill is not only necessary, but vital for the social welfare of the country.

John Key announces a new initiative to supply breakfast in schools. Source: Stuff.co.nz

This week, Prime minister, John Key announced a joint venture by the government with dairy company; Fonterra and breakfast cereal company; Sanitarium. This initiative will cost the government $1.9 million a year, a sum that Fonterra and Sanitarium will match. The programme will roll out to become accessible to all decile 1 to 4 schools that want it. These are much more realistic figures, compared to Hone Harawira's nonsensical sums... which perhaps used some sort of mathematical equation written by Dr Seuss.

It's looks as though the government have found a good middle ground to help rid the country of child poverty, but it still doesn't fix what is at the root of the problem. As Dickens said "Charity begins at home," something we need to place a stronger emphasis on, in order to combat the issue head on.

We need to ask why children in today's New Zealand can't get the food and essentials at home. If parents are struggling to earn enough money for their family to survive, a system should be implemented to give them access to higher education so they can better their chances of gaining a higher paying job. If parents are struggling with addictions that are interfering with their finances, there should be some kind of support to help overcome their addiction and better their circumstances.

There's clearly no easy fix to this problem, it's obviously going to take a great deal of time to reduce the current epidemic. But one thing I know for sure, we need to start at home! We need to find out what is happening, why they are struggling... but more importantly, how to help them change their circumstances.

Taking these small steps now, could result in leaps and bounds towards the reduction of child poverty in this country. Over time it could relieve a lot of the pressure off schools and government to supply such essential items, and put the onus back on the parents of each child.

Because if our society takes on the parents responsibility for feeding children, isn't that just feeding New Zealand's child poverty problem?

The verdict on the X Factor NZ judges

There have been a lot of haters out there about who was cast as one of the X Factor NZ judges, and of course haters are gonna hate... and hating they did!

The X Factor NZ judges from left; Daniel Bedingfield, Ruby Frost, Melanie Blatt and Stan Walker. Source: Facebook

Firstly let me start off by saying I think the casting was spot on! For me it ticks all the boxes; they appeal to a broad age demographic and each of them have had (or currently have) successful music careers.  I've heard some people say Melanie Blatt isn't even from New Zealand... uh, I'm fairly certain that hasn't ever been part of the criteria on any of the other X Factor shows around the world.

Melanie Brown from the Spice Girls was on X Factor Australia, Simon Cowell was on X Factor USA and Kelly Rowland from Destiny's Child was on X Factor UK. So importing judges from other countries is not only common, but probably more likely than not.

Now, let's take a look at the judges one-by-one...

First we have Daniel Bedingfield. He rose to fame with his hit single, Gotta Get Thru This, which rose to number 1 in the UK charts and the album of the same name sold over 4 million copies world wide.  As well as being nominated for a plethora of awards, he won Best British Male in the 2004 BRIT Awards.

Cover for single remix album, Gotta Get Thru This. Source: Eli.com

Most musicians would envy that kind of musical success, especially in a country that is renowned for being a notoriously hard market to crack. Daniel has had a lot of criticism on the show, for bending rules and making unpopular choices with some of the fans. One thing I will say is that he has stayed with his decisions and not backed down, to me that shows real character and something he should be commended for.

Next we have the other Male component of the judging panel; Stan (the man) Walker.

What can I say about the bro Stan... not a lot really. The guy is freakishly talented and needs no introduction... he sings, he acts and now he is mentoring up and coming artists.  From the shy kiwi boy on Australian Idol, to the confident but still humble star he is today. No stranger to the New Zealand and Australian music charts, he continues to be a top selling artist. To be honest, I wasn't a fan of him on idol but he has grown on me as much as he has the rest of New Zealand and no doubt Australia too.

From Australian Idol 2009, finalists Stan Walker and Hayley Warner. Source: Herald Sun

He is proving to be the comedic relief on the X Factor NZ show with some of his cheeky and witty one liners. Stan invests not only a great deal of time and effort in to the contestants, but also a lot of emotion and thought. This, of course, makes him one of the fan favorites on the judging panel.

Then there is Ruby Frost, the seemingly unknown judge who just popped up out of nowhere. Fans were ranting and raving on the official Facebook page, asking who she was and how she was cast. I have three words for all of them.... Haters, Haters, Haters! She might come across as a bashful, pink haired princess; but when she performs, her voice and music is unique and she has a very confident stage presence.  For those who still haven't heard her sing, here is her single 'Young' which hit the NZ top 20 over the 2012/13 summer...

Ruby has definitely held her own on the show, and gives some really good constructive feedback. By the kind of advice she gives, you can clearly tell this girl knows what she is talking about. She understands stage craft, the complexity of voice and entertainment value. She's also not shy to say what she thinks, and can often be brutally honest with contestants. But it's clear that she understands it is part of the job, and may indeed be the biggest negative that comes with a role like that.

Finally, to complete the judging panel, we have the incomparable Melanie Blatt. Our international import and mentor for the Groups category on the show. New Zealand should be honored to have an artist of her caliber, mentoring local aspiring artists. With top 20 hits in the UK, Australia, NZ and parts of Europe... as well as a string of awards, her success as the lead singer in the 90's UK R'n'B group All Saints would surpass any of the other judges by a mile.

Melanie Blatt (far right) with her 90's R'n'B group All Saints. Source: sofeminine.co.uk

Always the honest straight shooter who doesn't like to sugar coat things, Melanie was quickly labelled the "mean one" on the judging panel. But one thing is for sure... she clearly knows what's what and imparts sound judgement to help the contestants succeed. She also knows the industry inside and out, maybe not the New Zealand music industry, but the international scene; which is arguably a more valuable insight to have. She seems to be a big favorite among many of the older fans from gen-y, who likely grew up with her music that helped define the generation.

Sure the producers could have cast numerous other local artists as judges, some fans have said Dave Dobbyn should have been a judge, others have said Tim Finn, Kimbra, Brooke Fraser or Savage.  But we have to consider the possibilities of conflicting schedules, or even the fact that those people may have been approached and weren't even interested in the project. There are so many factors to producing a show like X Factor, we can't just assume we (the audience) knows what's best.

It's a mammoth project to undertake, but the risk appears to be paying off for MediaWorks. With nearly half a million viewers each episode, ratings appear to be growing as the week progresses. The show is going to be a very interesting watch in the coming weeks, especially considering the amount of controversy it has already generated... and I for one, will be staying tuned to see the carnage unfold.

So now we know more about the judges, who do you think has the winning act?