NZ First says population trends are at a ‘crisis point’. The reality is not that simple

NZ First’s announcement of a policy to encourage New Zealanders to have more babies was made with dramatic urgency. But can we take the claim behind its Kiwi Kids Grant – that population trends are at a “crisis point” – at face value? The grant would provide a kind of “baby bonus” to help young families raise the first three children through the first three years of their lives. On the surface, any fiscal commitment to support hardworking members of society in a cost-of-living crisis appears…