http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11728079
Police Minister Judith Collins has stuck by comments that parental influence has more to do with crime than poverty, saying it is “utter rubbish” to suggest crime is caused by poverty.
Collins has been criticised by Every Child Counts, which represents organisations including Barnardos, after her response to a question at the Police Association annual conference in Wellington yesterday.
After inviting questions after her speech, a Northland delegate asked if the Government was doing enough to address child poverty.
She said the government was doing a lot to bring down rates of child poverty, but there was financial support for everyone in New Zealand who needed it.
“It’s not that, it’s people who don’t look after their children, that’s the problem.
“And they can’t look after their children in many cases because they don’t know how to look after their children or even think they should look after their children.