Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made it her personal mission in politics to reduce child poverty. In one sense that should not be too hard.
Child poverty can be defined simply as all children living in households earning less than 50 per cent of the median household income.
Nearly half the children in single-parent households are in this category, so simply increasing benefit payments or lowering income tax can lift children above that "poverty line".
Indeed, Bill English boasted in the recent election that National's Budget this year would reduce child poverty by nearly 50,000 when its higher income thresholds for low tax rates and increased family tax credits took effect in April.
He reckoned another 50,000 could be lifted above the line if the economy stayed strong and generated Budget surpluses for another three years.