Emma-Lita Bourne, 2, died in part because of poor housing.
It's heart-wrenching to think that in a country which used to have one of the best welfare systems in the world, children are dying in sub-standard state housing.
I say "used to" because it seems the state is failing to provide adequate assistance to the most vulnerable people in our
country, and it's getting worse.
Time and time again, we hear about the widening gap between the rich and poor. We hear about the Government cracking down on welfare fraudsters, which is fair enough, but how often do we hear about those well-heeled fraudsters ripping off mum and dad investors doing time in our overcrowded prisons?
Not enough, in my opinion.
As shocking at it was, we all heard about South Auckland toddler Emma-Lita Bourne, whose death was blamed in part on the poor condition of the family's state house. And if it's happening in Auckland, then it's happening here too, as pointed out in today's story.
