Wish List: Rents and school charges hurting

By Paul Yandall

Mark and Pauline Muller hope Treasurer Bill Birch will be true to his word and produce a family-friendly Budget today.

With their children, Troy, aged 2, Amy, 5, and Ricky, 7, to care for on an income of just over $20,000, the couple see themselves as one of the many low-income strugglers who have borne the brunt of the economic changes.

First on the Mullers' Budget wishlist is the scrapping of market rents for Housing New Zealand tenants.

"We're paying $180 a week for a two-bedroom house in Manurewa, and when you take that out of our income that doesn't leave us a lot to live on," said Mrs Muller.

Free medical care, especially for their children, and lower ACC fees would help stretch their dollars.

Mr Muller said school fees, which could run into hundreds for families with more than one child at school, needed to be abolished.

The couple were keen to see the broadcasting fee scrapped and the introduction of a paternity scheme and Mrs Muller said more help was needed for mothers forced to stay at home to look after young children.

"It's so hard to buy clothes and shoes for kids, especially when they're going to school. The Government needs to do more to help."