Post by CrashPost by Rich80105Post by CrashPost by Rich80105Post by CrashPost by Rich80105https://petitions.parliament.nz/1beadf52-36ff-4963-bb16-08dd60c31487
I find these petitions tedious because they all seem to start with
"That the House of Representatives urge the Government...." -
pointless when the Governance commands a Parliamentary majority in the
House of Representatives.
In this case the Petitioner seeks to re-instate the prior
arrangements, where the price paid per lunch (IIRC) was more than
double what is being paid currently. Significant by its absence was
how this should be funded.
An better cheaper option is to cancel school lunches and fix the
underlying problem by taking child-neglect measures against parents
for children not being adequately cared for.
Perhaps you could explain why you think they are not doing exactly
that, Crash . . .
I wish they were but Seymour lacks true political courage along with
Luxon and others.
I come from a long line of pupils whose primary school lunch was
usually sandwiches made from 3+day old white bread with black fillings
(occasionally honey for variety). Subsequent to this someone thought
fruit might be a good option (not my mum - that was premium food for
adults). My parents bought their first freezer after I left school.
Then hot-bread shops opened on Sundays. Every month or so I was given
a shilling to buy a pie (which allegedly contained meat but really was
a meat-based drink because of the gravy) through a set-up between the
school and the dairy across the road. The warm free milk washed it
all down nicely - not. Coca-Cola was a Christmas day treat (today a
750ml 'family-size' bottle) evenly apportioned amongst the 7 of us,
that went well with the roast chicken (also a Christmas day treat).
No I am not joking nor am I exaggerating.
Fair enough, but I am not sure whether you are saying that you now
believe, with the benefit of hindsight, that based on the lunches you
were given your parents should have had child-neglect measures taken
against them,
What a ridiculous assertion. What I got was what everyone got.
I have not asserted anything. I am merely trying to understand what
you are suggesting should happen now. Yes New Zealand had a free milk
in schools programme from 1937 to 1967, which was partially revived by
Fonterra in 2013 using long life milk. Those were periods of relative
poverty for many, and also of growing milk production. There was a
suggestion "to cancel school lunches and fix the underlying problem by
taking child-neglect measures against parents for children not being
adequately cared for."
My question was why the current government is not doing exactly that,
to which you attributed a lack of political courage along with Luxon
and others. What courage do you believe they need?
Your story of lunches in your childhood appeared to suggest that you
believe those problems could have been resolved had the government of
the day taken child-neglect measures, but that is not necessarily
relevant to those families in a similar situation to your parents all
those years ago.
Post by CrashPost by Rich80105or whether you are saying that the sort of lunch you
describe would be acceptable and an improvement on the lunches Seymour
is paying for.
What I am saying is that it would be an acceptable lunch for those who
find lunches given to them to be inedible. Whether said lunches are
substandard or not should a contractual or food safety issue with the
supplier.
If children come to school expecting a school provided lunch, they are
not likely to also have the sort of lunch you describe with them as
well - clearly the government have made a judgement that there is a
real need for state-provided lunches. There has been no indication
that the contract with Compass includes any contractual or food safety
provisions. Poverty has increased recently - an increase in the number
homeless has been reported today, but also schools on the lower
deciles where lunches are being provided see it every day. Your
suggestion of using three day old bread may be less popular than the
suggestion of marmite sandwich and an apple a week or so ago.
The bottom line is that something needs to be done. I have little hope
that the petition I posted will achieve numbers to prompt an action,
but there does seem to be support from most people that some action is
needed, yet little appears to have happened . . .