A planned meeting between Education Minister Erica Stanford and Associate Education Minister David Seymour to discuss ongoing school lunch problems did not go ahead this morning after the ACT leader’s caucus meeting ran late.
The two ministers were due to meet on Tuesday morning and Stanford said it had been called “to go through some of the issues on his school lunch programme to make sure they are being cleared up”.
She said she expected school lunches should reach a higher standard.
“I think if we are spending taxpayers’ money, we have an obligation to provide a quality service.”
However, a spokesperson for Seymour said the ACT Party caucus meeting ran over time and he then had to attend a committee meeting. Stanford today said she was in her office and waiting for Seymour at the allotted time.
“I was in my office just after 11.30 for the meeting,” she said. “Any further questions about the school lunch programme probably need to be directed to him.”
Seymour told 1News that he had proactively kept Cabinet ministers, including Stanford, up to date as he oversaw the programme.
“There’s some complaints about the quality of some of the food, we’re working to overcome that. Where we get to in the end is delivering, and I’m actually pleased with the way it’s going.”
Labour leader Chris Hipkins raised the lunch programme in Parliament’s Question Time today.
“If it hasn’t taken feeding children melted plastic; failing to deliver lunches at all; serving up the same food 13 days in a row; or serving pork to halal students — what will it take for him to finally step in and sort out the mess that his Government has made of the school lunch programme?”
In response, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon acknowledged some of the food was “not up to scratch” but said he had “every confidence” that Seymour would work through the issues.
In Parliament today, Luxon repeated advice he earlier dished out to families: “I just say to parents who may be listening to this feel free to prepare a Marmite sandwich and a piece of apple for lunch.”
