Whenever we write anything about poverty in Hawke's Bay, we always get letters and texts saying there is no such thing.
The writers go on to say that it is all about the wrong choices people make. Poverty does not exist here, they exclaim, people simply aren't feeding and clothingtheir children because they have the wrong priorities.
They are probably right about it often being bad choices by parents that put children in poverty, but the point is that they are still in poverty. It does not matter how they get there, these children are living in poverty. It is not their fault and sometimes we, as communities, have to step in and help them.
What is the alternative? Let them starve? If we take a hard line with the parents, we only end up punishing the vulnerable little ones we should be protecting. Maybe sometimes that will mean the parents get away with not providing for their children, but I would rather have that, than a child suffering.
The Paediatric Society of New Zealand's Annual Scientific Meeting is currently being held in Napier and, unsurprisingly, one of the themes is child poverty.
Children's Commissioner Dr Russell Wills, for whom I have tremendous respect, has seen first-hand the child poverty in Hawke's Bay. He told the conference that the Government was poised to act on child poverty but was unsure of public support.
It is up to us to put aside our anger at parents who don't provide for their children - we can work out strategies to deal with them later - and focus on making sure that no child in New Zealand lives in poverty.
