Speak the Truth Now About Eliminating Child Poverty, Says Harawira

MANA Movement leader Hone Harawira has challenged other political parties to declare their commitment to his Feed the Kids Bill before the polls close on September 20.

Mr Harawira’s proposed legislation ran out of time in the debating chamber by one speech in the last Parliament. It will return to the House within the first few months of a new government.

Speaking at a meeting in South Auckland tonight to launch Internet MANA’s Eliminating Poverty policy, Mr Harawira said: “Voters deserve to know now just how serious other parties are about feeding the 260,000 children who live in poverty, and the 100,000 who turn up to school each day hungry.”

Feed the Kids was supported by Labour, the Green Party, NZ First and the Maori Party. Both the National and ACT parties oppose the legislation, and United Future is expected to follow suit.

“To me, this is the litmus test for what kind of nation we want to be,” said Mr Harawira. “The lines are clearly drawn for New Zealanders to see – unless they hear otherwise in the next 10 days from National and its supporters.

“You can either choose as a number one priority to feed children, so they can learn and thrive and have the best start possible to life.

“Or you can condemn these kids to hunger and poor health and the follow-on of becoming unproductive and unhappy members of society.”

Mr Harawira says he has no time for judgments and rationalisations by politicians on why children are turning up to school hungry.

“This is irrelevant to the children and it doesn’t fill their tummies.”

Tonight’s meeting in Otara saw Mr Harawira and Internet Party Leader Laila Harré set out a three-policy plan to eliminate poverty in New Zealand.

Details were spelt out for every child to be well fed, for every family to have a decent home, and for full employment.

“These three policies are at the heart of the political alliance between the MANA Movement and the Internet Party,” said Mr Harawira.

“It isn’t a question of if these policies should be actioned, we will explain how we will make them a reality.

“This Eliminating Poverty package is the top priority for us. New Zealanders can only decide where they stand with full disclosure from other political parties.”

Click here for the full ELIMINATING POVERTY POLICY.

ENDS

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