Crusader for social equality gives talk

Documentary-maker Bryan Bruce will be in Tauranga to speak about inequality and child poverty on Friday. Photo / Supplied

Award-winning documentary-maker and investigative journalist Bryan Bruce will be in Tauranga on Friday to discuss inequality and child poverty.

Mr Bruce gained recognition for his work on programmes such as Inside Child Poverty and Mind the Gap, and has spoken about economic inequality across New Zealand.

He also discussed what could be done by the average New Zealander to help alleviate these issues, such as creating social businesses with profits going to the community.

Despite initially assuming he would be doing just one presentation, Mr Bruce said Tauranga would be his 10th talk.

He said he had been surprised with each turnout.

"What's been remarkable is that every area has been full," Mr Bruce said.

He put the interest in his talks down to a desire to tap into "real issues people are facing around the country".

"You can't save anymore, the middle class is now the struggling class.

"If you work all week and can't make ends meet, it has nothing to do with how lazy you are. There is something fundamentally wrong with our economy."

Mr Bruce was also surprised by the number of young people who attended, and said he presumed they were curious about how the economy was different from the past.

"We've gone back to the 19th century, the poor are dependent on the comfort of strangers."

Mr Bruce said he would also discuss the Trans-Pacific Partnership and how it could increase the gap between rich and poor.

Closing the Gap national secretary and local chair Peter Malcolm said they were determined to get Mr Bruce to Tauranga.

"He has quite a reputation and profile, you couldn't do much better," Mr Malcolm said.

"He is the fundamental idea behind Closing the Gap."

-What We Know, What We Say And What We Do: Ethics, Fairness & Politics will be hosted at the Wesley Centre this Friday at 7pm, for a gold coin donation.

Award winner

Bryan Bruce's documentary Mind the Gap, which looks into the economic gap between the rich and poor and its effect in New Zealand, won gold at the New York Festivals
International Television and Film Awards last year.