Who started food in schools?
September 24th, 2012 at 11:00 am by David FarrarA reader pointed out this 2007 press release:
National Party Leader John Key says he is shocked and appalled that senior Labour Minister Steve Maharey has described a plan to feed children in our poorest schools as ‘Tory charity’.
“Labour’s more interested in petty patch protection and name calling than it is in getting food into the stomachs of hungry children.
“Labour has already clearly demonstrated how out of touch it is with this issue. Experts have been quoting a range of numbers that show thousands upon thousands of kids are turning up to school hungry.
“So, in the face of the overwhelming evidence, Mr Maharey has finally said he would welcome business contact with schools keen to adopt National’s Food In Schools programme.
“Yet this is a Minister, who less than 24 hours earlier, insultingly accused businesses behind the programme as being part of ‘Tory charity’. Both he and Helen Clark had earlier claimed there was no need and no demand.
“National understands the severity of the problem, and I’m not pretending this is the magic bullet to our social problems, but it is a positive first step.
A useful reminder that National started the food in schools programme, against opposition from Labour.
Related posts:
- The Press on food in schools
- Dunne on food in schools
- Free food for low decile schools?
- Fast Food near schools
September 24th, 2012 at 12:53 pm
And yet now National opposes it, which is more hypocritical because Labour has since had two leadership changes, whereas it’s still the same mug running National
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 1:00 pm
Two words DPF – Animal Farm.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 1:00 pm
And yet now National opposes it
Opposes what? I’m not aware of National opposing any current food in school programme.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 1:02 pm
I am pretty sure that they are opposed to extending it to all schools as they prefer a more targeted approach.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 1:05 pm
A useful reminder that National started the food in schools programme, against opposition from Labour.
Why do we need to be reminded of something that isn’t true? And how it such a reminder of use? [except as a diversionary tactic]
National wasn’t in government in 2007. How on Earth did it start a food in schools programme?
National has been in government since late 2008, has it started a food in schools programme?
[FYI, the answer is "No"]
The useful reminder we need is that the private sector started the current food in schools programmes, and continue to run them, with neither National nor Labour having had anything to do with them.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 1:15 pm
Look, the whole debate is crap.
We have four grandchildren living with us – aged 8 to 15.5 yrs.
Every morning they have a choice of eggs, boxed cereal, porridge, canned fruit and toast, for bredakfast. The 15.5yr old gorilla and the 12 year old female house ape refuse (repeat, refuse) to eat breakfast.
Every day, all four go off with abundant boxed lunches (including fruit) in their bags. The 15.5 yr old eats his lunch on the bus before reaching his High School. The 12 year old female returns home with her lunch in tact – and then raids the refrigeratir and the pantry bemoaning the fact that she is hungry.
The eight year old, who reckons he will be “Pime Minister John Key” one day (he has met him!), has eggs and toast for breakfast aliost every day – and he eats his lunch. The 10 year old female does cereal and fruity am, and eats her lunch (we think, but still raids the ‘fridge.
The lesson?
You can lead the horse to water..,.,,,.
It is time to stop attermpts at social engineering. Kids will eat if and when they wan – what they want. All the rest, including all the hand wringing and posturing, is just crap.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 1:16 pm
I’m confused, is this supposed to make National look good or bad.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 1:19 pm
Labour don’t care about the poor or hardtrodden workers.
Labour are more about ‘social engineering’ and their own constituency often gets in the way .
Personally, I reckon kids who go to school hungry have parents with drug and alcohol issues. The problem is not money, it is the parents.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Graeme E et al…
Did not Fonterra start/attempt to start something? Can’t recall.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 1:32 pm
More flips (and flops) than pancakes at IHOP.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 1:47 pm
Graeme E et al… Did not Fonterra start/attempt to start something? Can’t recall.
I believe I can recall something about them proposing to give milk to some schools. Not sure what happened.
Do you think DPF might claim National is responsible for that too?
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 1:52 pm
National wasn’t in government in 2007. How on Earth did it start a food in schools programme?
I think the point was that when they announced that they would do it when they got into power, it was derided.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 1:55 pm
I think the point was that when they announced that they would do it when they got into power, it was derided.
Derided so much, that when they go into power, they didn’t start a food in schools programme?
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 1:56 pm
Do you think DPF might claim National is responsible for that too?
Everyone knows that National and cow cockies are like tits in milking cups.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 2:10 pm
Is a Tory another name for a Remuera Socialist?
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Chelsea tractor, Remuera socialist – same thing.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 3:18 pm
I wonder if those caring teachers and other feeding the kids at school will keep the programme going during the school holidays after all if the kids get nothing for brekky or lunch for a fortnight they will be a bit peckish by the time school resumes.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
Tory – a term used by some on the left in New Zealand to try (and sadly fail) to equate the New Zealand National Party with the UK Conservative Party. They would probably also use the term Republican if it wasn’t confused by the republican/monarchy debate, and would also try GOP, but no-one here knows what that means.
Basically, it’s a way to know at a glance to disregard the comment without reading, as it will be a knee jerk denial of all things National, not a well thought-out argument.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 3:34 pm
In 2007 John Key announced:
The principal of Wesley Primary then said the school didn’t need the help, and Phil Goff announced:
Maharey said
All quite clear – Wesley School didn’t need a breakfast program from that nasty Mr Key.
Roll on to 2012:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.396603947061633.93908.118228171565880&type=1
You know what, if you don’t want our stinking ‘Tory charity’ then stop asking for more.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Solo parent to child @ 4pm “did you bring home my lunch for tomorrow”
Vote:whack
tell your teacher I’m coming in to see her tomorrow
whack
September 24th, 2012 at 6:35 pm
This is starting to sound like something Winston Peters is famous for…. making it all up as he goes along !
Remember that Labour denied we had an “underclass” in NZ in 2007 – National were going to address it – they have not. Now Labour want to address it – seems to me opposition should be running government as politicians only have balls when they personally have nothing to loose.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 10:10 pm
Oh God help us, if there is one thing that frustrates me with the National Party, it’s this sort of crap. Instead of opposing something because it is wrong, they would rather point out the opposition’s hypocrisy on the issue when they supported the idea in opposition themselves. Quite how this is supposed to get votes I am not sure. A dumb idea is a dumb idea. National do not get points for supporting dumb ideas and saying that Labour flip flopped on the dumb idea. They get points for opposing the dumb idea because it is wrong.
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 10:14 pm
Agreed. What a parade of desperate public purse suckers on Campbell live tonight trying to save the defunct idea of “child poverty”
Vote:September 24th, 2012 at 10:30 pm
Another band-aid to hide ever greater social irresponsibility in our progressive utopia. Despite zillions already spent by the welfare state to lift people out of poverty.
“We should measure welfare’s success by how many people leave welfare, not by how many are added.” Ronald Reagan
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