Lunches downgrade robs children of nutrition, well-being, immunity and fuel to learn
The Government has sunk to a new low with today’s announcement that they will replace high quality nutritious lunches with largely processed snack foods for Intermediate and High School students, as families continue to struggle with food insecurity. “This announcement is a devastating lost opportunity to promote healthy eating habits that protect against chronic diseases […]
Poor uptake makes mockery of Health Star Ratings system
The failed voluntary Health Star Rating (HSR) system must urgently be made mandatory to ensure New Zealanders can make easy, healthy choices at the supermarket. Just released analysis by University of Auckland researchers found 30.4 per cent of products carried a HSR in mid-2023. By 2019, 25 per cent of products displayed a HSR, showing […]
Time for Associate Minister of Education to reveal his school lunches magic trick
Mr Seymour says he will achieve the same results of Ka Ora, Ka Ako with less funding – and now with fewer staff. It’s time for him to explain how he will do this, what the consequences will be and what evidence he has that these changes will achieve the same results. The 235,000 students, […]
Minister using outdated advice to justify cutting school lunches
The Associate Education Minister David Seymour is quoting a highly negative Treasury report on the Healthy School Lunches Programme to justify cuts, despite new evaluations that paint a much more positive picture. The Treasury report, released in June 2023, was based on Ministry of Education evaluations from 2021 and 2022 and found the programme “contributed […]
70,000 sign petitions to keep free school lunches – as evidence shows they reduce hunger, improve behaviour, nutrition and attendance
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme – Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government cuts continues to grow. Two petitions against cuts to the programme by Health Coalition Aotearoa and the NZ Labour […]
Health coalition launches petition to protect school lunches
Health Coalition Aotearoa has today launched a petition to stop the Government cutting the free school lunches programme – Ka Ora, Ka Ako. The programme offers 230,000 students in about 1,000 of the least advantaged schools’ healthy lunches – ensuring they receive at least one nutritious meal each day. It ensures that kids have the […]
New Zealand’s hungry teens four years behind in their learning – free school lunches provide solution
Food poverty has contributed to New Zealand’s poor performance in an international educational achievement test for 15-year-olds, reigniting calls for broader access to free healthy school lunches. “The 2022 PISA (Program for International Student Achievement) data shows achievement for students who miss meals due to lack of money is two to four years behind their […]
Shameful repeal of Smokefree law will result in more tobacco harm, deaths
The Government’s shameful repeal of the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022 will condemn thousands of Kiwis to prolonged tobacco addiction, harm and preventable death. “The tobacco industry will be celebrating their victory in getting the Government coalition parties, all of whom have significant ties with the industry, to run their agenda […]
Sacking of whistleblower over Costello’s advice shows system lacks transparency
The sacking of a Ministry of Health public servant over a leak to media is the result of a broken public policy system which fails to provide the transparency a democratic country should expect. RNZ today reported a public servant who leaked advice sought by Associate Minister of Health Casey Costello about a freeze on […]
Smokefree repeal must get Parliamentary scrutiny
Today, Health Coalition Aotearoa (HCA), the Council of Medical Colleges in New Zealand (CMC), and Te Ohu Rata O Aotearoa – Māori Medical Practitioners Association are calling on the Government not to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022 under urgency and to send the Bill to the Health Select […]
