March 2020 From the Director This year is an election year and the Unit’s annual State of the Nation Report has within it a strong call to citizenship. This has been captured in the theme of the report: ‘Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti, Huia Tangata Kotahi—People of the Land, People of the Treaty, Bring Everyone Together’. The report highlights some very positive as Christians, developments in our nation’s social progress. engage in the However, we note that little progress has occurred democratic process in lifting the families and children living in deepest to best affect the poverty out of their lamentable situation. The kind of change required. politicians, it seems, struggle to find the courage to Please watch this space for more information make the more radical changes required to address about our awareness-raising initiative for the this state of affairs. This level of poverty and election as you consider the following words of homelessness seems almost normalised to the point scripture: of acceptance or at least resignation in some circles. ‘Speak up for those who cannot speak for It has been said that ‘a nation’s greatness is themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. measured by how it treats its weakest members’. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the In a democracy, how our poor are treated is heavily poor and needy.’ Proverbs 31:8–9 (NIV) influenced by how we as citizens feel and act about the way things are. A society that clearly calls for Lieutenant-Colonel Ian Hutson change can provide politicians with the fortitude to Director—Social Policy & Parliamentary Unit make the more courageous decisions required. This is what is needed to deal with the levels of poverty we are experiencing daily at the front line. Staff in our Salvation Army Corps and Centres around the country see the struggle in the eyes of the many desperate and anxious people that come for help. This year the SPPU will be looking to provide information that supports people to think through the many issues that are highlighted in the State of the Nation. We hope it will enable people to consider what might be done to address this level of entrenched poverty and how we might, March 2020 Key SPPU News Out & About This year’s report ‘Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti, Huia Tangata Kotahi—People of the Land, People Speaking/Presentations of the Treaty, Bring Everyone Together’ promotes a 27/02 ZOOM online live webinar presentation for unified approach to key social issues like adequate Christian Budgeting NZ on the key parts of the housing for all, the wellbeing and safety of our State of the Nation Report 2020—Ronji . children, and reducing poverty levels. CHRISTIAN BUDGETING NZ ON FACEBOOK READ THE REPORT HERE Submissions The State of the Nation Report was launched on Despite the extreme busyness during the State of 12–14 February 2020 in 10 different centres around the Nation period, the Unit was able to write five the nation to good attendance. Mayors, MPs, submissions to key Government Bills or reviews in and other community leaders were present with January and February. These submissions were: salvationists. The centres where these events took place included Whangārei, Manukau, Hamilton, • The Budget Policy Statement 2020—giving our , , , , input on the Budget priorities for 2020. Tīmaru, Queenstown and . • Public Service Legislation Bill—called for In addition, the media interest this year was greater pay equity between NGO workers and significant with most mainstream media reporting government workers, and also highlighted the on aspects of the report—and good social media severe funding gaps for NGOs in NZ. engagement as well. See below some of the links to • Credit Contracts Regulations—technical media related to the report. submission focussed on stronger affordability assessments for people taking out loans. • Racing Industry Bill—we strongly opposed this Bill with our Oasis service, especially as TAB NZ will have the ability to develop new gambling products. • Urban Development Bill—we called for stronger protections for local communities affected by these developments, and advocated for more social housing and more affordable housing options. • We have made oral submissions to Government MPs and select committees on the Budget Policy Statement, Racing Bill and Public Service Bill. All our submissions are available HERE

Government 19/02 FinCap Trust Board meeting that focussed on the BFC Commissioning process and the new Client Voices system—Ronji. 29/01 The team met with MP Carmel Sepuloni (MSD) to discuss welfare reform, problem debt and social On 10 February, SPPU and Manukau Community housing—whole team. Ministries said farewell to friend and work colleague 25/01 Informal meeting with officials from the Child Vincent Wijeysingha. The Unit is in the process of Poverty Unit to discuss child poverty statistics— interviewing for a new Social Policy Analyst. Paul.

Continued ... March 2020

Stakeholder Meetings Community Advocacy 26/02 Attended the Leaders’ Breakfast for the Billy 26/02 Attended the Deportees/section 501 hui Graham Association—Ronji. organised by Community Law Aotearoa—Ronji. 20/02 Joined the Nga Tangata Microfinance Board 25/02 Attended the Wilberforce 21 Advocacy teleconference, focussed on increasing funding for workshop on Waiheke Island. Rev. Tim Costello safer and more ethical credit—Ronji. from Australia was the main speaker. Attendees 04/02 Met with Dr Mike Kwok from the Billy Graham included CEOs of Christian NGOs, theologians, Evangelistic Association—Ronji. business people—Ronji. 19/02 Church Leaders’ Advisors group—video 17/02 Attended the Cannabis Referendum briefing conference—Ian/Paul. from Family First (READ HERE)—Ronji. 29 & 30/01 The team went through an excellent 03/02 The Mangere Housing Community media training session with the Regeneration Group held their strategic planning Group. We highly recommend this training to session led by Major Campbell Roberts—Ronji. others—whole team. 16/02 Attended Inter Faith Communities Hui in 25/02 The Council of Christian Social Manukau—Ian. Services Council meeting in Wellington—Ian. 31/01 Celebration of the Alcohol and Other Drug Annual Forum 202 National Dialogue for Christian Treatment Courts being officially instituted on Unity in Wellington—Ian. completion of pilot programmes, —Ian. Media 31/01 Meeting with Te Ohu Whakawhanuanga Trust—broad based community organising, South 14/01 Advocating for greater investment in welfare Auckland—Ian. reform (READ HERE)—Ronji. 22/01 Radio interview on Tuvalu language Internal Salvation Army programme (531AM) covering State of the Nation— 22/02 Salvation Army South Auckland strategic Ronji. planning hui—Ian. 26/02 How to lift children out of poverty: Media 23/03 Northern Divisional Celebration Meeting: release in response to release of child poverty Welcome to new Territorial Leaders and new statistics for 2019 (READ HERE) Divisional Officers—Ian. 26/02 Interview for NewsTalkZB on child poverty 28/02 The Salvation Army National Social Mission statistics—Paul. Directors meeting at THQ Wellington—Ian. State Of The Nation 2020 Media Links 4 & 6/02 Attended Waitangi Celebrations, Salvation Army Māori Ministry-led workshop, official Scoop Independent News 1 • ceremonies—Ian. • Scoop Independent News 2 • Voxy.co.nz • Newstalk ZB (Mike Hosking) Blog • Newstalk ZB (Kerre McIvor) In Psalm 133, the writer beautifully states that it is a beautiful thing when brethren or God’s people

• MSN.com 1 dwell together in unity. The word used for unity is • Scoop Independent News 3 the Hebrew word yachad which translates as union, togetherness or alikeness. Unity is notoriously • MSN.com 2 difficult to achieve, particularly for a large group of • Newshub people. Yet it is, as the Psalmist writes, a beautiful thing to behold when unity is both sought and • Otago Daily Times achieved. In a society there are seemingly more March 2020 things that divide us than unite us; political and to the report, including a section that monitors and religious views, theology, ethnicity, language, income reports on specific measurements of social progress levels, location of where you live and numerous other and wellbeing for Māori people and whānau. labels or ‘sides’ that divide. While acknowledging Some of the most confronting findings from this that these things that divide are often critical to year’s report include: who many of us are, The Salvation Army’s call with this State of the Nation Report 2020 is a challenge for • About 174,000 children (roughly similar to the us as a nation to find the things we can agree on. population of Hamilton) live in the deepest These will unite us despite the things that separate poverty in our nation us. This is enshrined in the theme we have chosen for this year’s report: ‘Tangata Whenua, Tangata • A sharp increase in youth suicides, particularly Tiriti, Huia Tangata Kotahi—People of the Land, for young males, since 2017 People of the Treaty, Bring Everyone Together’. • Hardship assistance from Government continues This theme is about unity. It is also about a to grow rapidly since 2017. For example, in challenge to both The Salvation Army, and to us as October–December 2019, $48 million was given a nation, to try to achieve unity in some key areas out in emergency housing grants of social policy and social wellbeing in Aotearoa. • 2 out of every 3 women in prison are Māori The reality is there will never be complete unity on all matters. But we strongly believe that on critical • Prosecutions for methamphetamine offences issues—child poverty, violence against children, continue to climb while prosecutions for educational achievement, fairer incomes for all cannabis keep falling workers, sufficient benefit payments for those • The social housing register came to about 14,000 doing it most tough, justice reform to benefit both applicants by the end of 2019. the offender and victim, and affordable housing options for all Kiwis—unity in planning, action and In the end, The Salvation Army hopes this State change can indeed be achieved. In an election of the Nation Report 2020 can inform people and year (which includes two important referenda whānau, stimulate informed discussion and debate, questions), where citizenship and nationhood are and also help shape and influence some of the fundamental to our democratic system, this call areas where we can indeed come together and unite to come together as a nation and society on key for action and change. Again, as a nation we will issues is even more important. never fully agree on every single issue or matter. But considering the Hebrew word yachad used Like previous State of the Nation reports, the 2020 by the Psalmist, the importance of citizenship in report looks at five main areas of social wellbeing this election year, and the core theme of ‘Tangata across five areas of social policy and social Whenua, Tangata Tiriti, Huia Tangata Kotahi’, we need progress: Our Children, Work and Incomes, Crime unity now more than ever as a nation on critical and Punishment, Social Hazards and Housing. In this social issues affecting us all; particularly for the most report, we use 24 indicators tracked across these marginalised and disadvantaged children, people and five main areas. This is the 13th edition of this report whānau in our society. and many of the indicators we track have been monitored for more than a decade. The Salvation Ronji Tanielu Army uses publicly available data as well as some of Senior Analyst our own internally-gathered data to determine the major trends and changes across these five areas. There are also some important recent modifications

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