PRESS RELEASE

Kiwis get Government to back MANA’s Feed the Kids Message

MANA Leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau Hone Harawira

Tuesday 28 May 2013

“70% of New Zealanders heard and voted to support MANA’s Feed the Kids message” said MANA Leader and Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira, as the Government announces an expanded breakfast programme in association with Sanitarium, Fonterra and KidsCan. “That’s what got the Prime Minister to do something about supporting food-in-schools”.

“And for that, kids can also be thankful to the many organisations who have supported a comprehensive food-in-schools programme and backed MANA’s Feed the Kids bill over the past 9 months”.

“Together we made a difference. Today we got the Government to take action on the most pressing issue of our time, child poverty”.
“But it doesn’t end here, not by a long-shot” said Harawira. “While I applaud the long-standing support from the business sector, eliminating child poverty in Aotearoa is not about charity and neither should it rely on public-private partnerships. We have already seen breakfast programmes dropped in the past when profits have fallen. Our kids deserve better than that.”
In 2011, the Red Cross was forced to end its breakfast in schools programme due to the loss of their major sponsor, Countdown.

“Eliminating child poverty should be the highest priority of any Government, and feeding the kids should be the first step in achieving that goal”.

“I am grateful to everyone for their support and thankful for the Prime Minister’s announcement today on expanding the current food-in-schools programme” said Harawira.

“But I would ask New Zealanders to take this to the next level by urging your MP to Support the Feed the Kids bill at first reading. If the bill goes to Select Committee we get the opportunity to hear from teachers, parents, doctors, children, nurses, and child support agencies”.

“That’s what we did with the Tobacco Inquiry and we got legislation making Aotearoa smokefree by 2025” said Harawira.

“Wouldn’t it be great if we took same road to eliminating child poverty by 2020?”

ENDS

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