Ideas for politicians to tackle some of today’s problems

“We cannot lock up, fine, or punish our way to healthy living. It’s not about a second chance – these children and their parents never got a first chance.

“Society pays the price eventually. Those at the bottom pay first. The only way out is to respond with fair, healthy economic and social policies,” said Te Whatu Ora chair, Rob Campbell when he wrote about the NZHerald column in the previous post on Linkedin. It generated over 30,000 views.

Some suggested solutions in programmes they had seen funded, which later governments defunded.

Freakonomics co-author Steven Levitt on “unwanted” children and crime summarised: “If unwantedness is such a powerful influencer on people’s lives, then we should try to do things to make sure that children are wanted.”

Levitt suggests we think about how we would “create a world in which kids grow up more loved and more appreciated and with brighter futures. Is that better early education? Is that permits for parents? Or training for parents? Or minimum incomes?”

It will take time but, without any investment, as Dave Letele said “If we think things are bad now, and we don’t do anything, imagine the kids of these kids.”

Read more here, again it’s behind a paywall. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/victoria-carter-ideas-for-politicians-to-tackle-todays-problems/TYBSPRTPEZBYTGZ67YPZGX5S6A/