Poverty committee not fully supported - Turia

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia is critical of Government ministers for failing to fully support a parliamentary group set up to tackle poverty.

A ministerial committee on poverty was set up in 2012 as part of the Maori Party's confidence and supply agreement with the National Party.

It's supposed to report on its progress every six months but the last report was published over a year ago.

Mrs Turia, who chairs the committee, said she does not have the ministerial budget to address inequality by herself.

She told the Sunday Morning programme there are ministers on the committee who have larger budgets and they need to consider what contribution they've made to alleviating poverty.

Mrs Turia said programmes to tackle rheumatic fever and provide free breakfast to schoolchildren have made a difference.