Luxon’s Marmite comment sparks Northland backlash over school lunch quality

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says parents unhappy with the school lunches should start packing their own.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s comment - “make a Marmite sandwich and put an apple in the bag” – struck a nerve with those who see school meals as an essential lifeline, not a convenience.

Northland education leader Pat Newman said Luxon and other politicians wouldn’t be so casual about school lunches if they had to live on them for a few months.

School lunches have come under fire from some schools, including five in Northland which have complained about quality and delivery issues.

Luxon told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking if parents continue to be dissatisfied with the lunches, they should pack them themselves.

“If you really are unhappy with it, for God’s sake, go make a Marmite sandwich and put an apple in a bag just like you and I had.”

He said he would rather the state not have the responsibility of feeding students.

“The fact is that kids are actually coming to school with no lunch and I’m not willing to let them go hungry.”

Newman, Hora Hora School principal and Tai Tokerau Principals’ Association spokesman, was shocked by the comment.

Hora Hora primary school principal Pat Hora Hora School principal and Tai Tokerau Principals’ Association spokesman says politicians should try the school meals. Photo / NZME

“I reckon if they are so good, then why don’t you feed it to everyone in Parliament for a couple months and see how they like it. According to them, it’s a good meal.

“I think we should actually just go ahead and swap the budgets, and the MPs get the $3 per meal budgets kids are on and the kids get the MP lunch budgets, then we can see how quickly things would turn around,” Newman said.

“The whole purpose of the political system is to look after the citizens of the country and not just the rich. This is the kind of help they should be giving.”

Whangārei Intermediate School was forced to send back school lunches that arrived in an inedible state. Photo / Yolisa Tswanya

Newman said school lunches made a big difference to the lives of students.

“We wouldn’t be fighting for it if it didn’t make a difference.”

Newman believed the revamped programme was not working and needed to revert back to its original set-up.

Child Poverty Action Group executive officer Sarita Divis said the Government needed to focus on ensuring students are received healthy meals thatallow them to thrive.

“They need to acknowledge that the new programme is a disaster and go back to the community-based programme, and you will have happy, healthy kids. At the moment they are not receiving that.

“Both Luxon and Seymour are acknowledging that it is an important programme, but it’s not being done correctly. It needs to be nutritious; it can’t just be a Marmite sandwich.”

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Divis said hungry children found learning difficult.

“If we want to invest in our future, we need to invest in school food programmes and these are worldwide, we are not unusual for doing it.

“It’s all about having a workforce that is educated and healthy and we need to do as much as we can. And the food has to be able to be eaten.”

Divis said she was hopeful that things would get better.

Luxon admitted some of the lunches were “not up to scratch” and said he had asked Associate Education Minister David Seymour – who heads the revamped programme – to keep on chasing the issues down.

“I have every confidence that he’s going to get it sorted.”