health coalition aotearoa

A coalition of health charities has slammed the Government’s decision to give ministerial responsibility for free school lunches to David Seymour after the Act leader campaigned for the programme to be abolished. 

Speaking to Mike Hosking on Early Edition, Co-chair of the Health Coalition Aotearoa Professor Boyd Swinburn says nobody wants to see kids trying to learn on empty stomachs.  

Universality is what makes the programme efficient, Swinburn says, providing relief for families with food insecurity. 

Listen above. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is being warned that its attempts to streamline the costs of government-funded school lunches could backfire.  

An MBIE briefing has revealed the lunches could end this year unless the Government finds $330 million. 

Prime Minister Chris Luxon says his government will fund them beyond the end of the year, but he wants to optimise the programme.   

Health Coalition Aotearoa co-chair Boyd Swinburn told Mike Hosking that a programme which only gives lunches to poorer kids has downsides.  

He says having certain children line up for the lunches creates stigma for them, which can create so many issues that schools may decide not to bother. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health Coalition Aotearoa have called for the current Associate Minister for Health to be replaced over her proposed plan for tobacco taxes.

Official documents show Minister Casey Costello is looking into a three-year tobacco tax freeze.

Co-chair Boyd Swinburn says this proposal is the latest in a string of 'anti-health' measures.

"Wanting to repeal the smokefree legislation that was brought into place in 2022, bringing in smokeless tobacco, taking the excise tax off heated tobacco, and now looking into taking the CTI adjustment off- this is all out of the tobacco industry playbook."

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.