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flag New Zealand's Parliament debates expanding family tax relief, but critics say it fixes a flawed rollout, not a lack of support.

flag New Zealand’s Parliament is debating the Income Tax (FamilyBoost) Amendment Bill, which seeks to expand tax relief for families with young children by increasing the FamilyBoost credit to 40% of early childhood education fees and raising the income threshold. flag Critics, including Labour and Green Party members, argue the original policy failed due to complex claiming processes, low uptake (around 53%), and a pay-first, rebate-later structure that disadvantages low-income families. flag They say the promised $250 weekly subsidy is largely unattainable and criticize the bill’s title as misleading, calling it a fix for a flawed rollout rather than a genuine expansion of support. flag While the government defends the changes as necessary amid ongoing cost of living pressures, concerns remain over transparency, data reliability, and whether the policy truly reaches those in need.

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