Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh used a B.C. food security platform to advocate for a national school lunch program in the upcoming budget.
鈥淧arents are doing everything they can to take care of their kids, but the cost of food just keeps going up. In a country as rich as ours, no child should ever have to go to school hungry,鈥� said Singh. 鈥淲hile parents make big sacrifices to keep food on the table, grocery store CEOs like Galen Weston are making record profits at Canadians鈥� expense.鈥�
He was joined Wednesday morning (March 6) by Vancouver Island NDP MPs Rachel Blaney and Gord Johns at a press conference hosted by Courtenay鈥檚 food security non-profit LUSH Valley, aimed at raising awareness about the importance of providing nutritious meals to students.
Singh is prioritizing a national school lunch program as one of his party鈥檚 chief objectives.
鈥淲e鈥檙e making it very clear in this upcoming budget (that) one of our specific demands is that the federal government finally commit to a national school lunch program,鈥� said Singh. 鈥淲e want to make this happen across the country鈥� in every city, in every community, so that every kid can go to school and know that they鈥檒l have a healthy lunch.鈥�
In turn, such a program could also alleviate a significant source of stress and financial burden for parents across the country, believes the politician.
As the NDP leader stated, school districts across B.C. received provincial funding through the Feeding Futures program, but Singh is pushing the federal government to do its part.
Despite a good working relationship with the minority Liberal government, Singh remained critical of their involvement in solving the issue of food insecurity in schools.
鈥淚 want to point out that the Liberals have promised to bring (a national school lunch program) for years and haven鈥檛 done so,鈥� said Singh. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e been dragging their feet, stringing people along and that鈥檚 wrong.
鈥淲e are demanding that the Liberal government bring in funding for a national school lunch program so every kid can get access to a nutritious meal at school.鈥�
Singh also expressed dissatisfaction with the Conservatives鈥� handling of the situation.
鈥淩ecently we had a vote on a national school lunch program and Pierre Poilievre鈥檚 (party) voted against it,鈥� said Singh. 鈥淗ow could they look a kid in the eyes, who hasn鈥檛 been getting nutritious meals, and say they鈥檙e gonna vote against a school lunch program?鈥�
Before Singh鈥檚 address, NDP MP for Courtenay-Alberni Gord Johns took the chance to highlight the work of a local non-profit in fighting against food insecurity.
鈥淥rganizations like Lush Valley here in the Comox Valley are going above and beyond to ensure that people in our communities have food,鈥� said Johns. 鈥淕roups (like LUSH) are leading the way and are filling crucial gaps that are widening as poverty rates rise.鈥�
Yet, Johns recognized that the grunt of the work falls on non-profits across the country.
鈥淚t鈥檚 crucial to point out that it should not fall to organizations like LUSH Valley to do this work without proper support from all levels of government,鈥� said Johns. 鈥淲hile the B.C. government has been a meaningful partner鈥� the federal government hasn鈥檛 been doing its share, (and) families are still waiting for this help. We need the federal government to fill the gap.鈥�
For LUSH Valley鈥檚 executive director Maurita Prato, potential help from the federal government could make a night and day difference amid this current crisis.
鈥淩ight now, we鈥檙e supporting 300 school district families through our (programs, but) there continues to be so much need,鈥� said Prato. 鈥�(Organizations like ours are) really pushing wraparound policies (and are asking) for the federal government鈥� to put in significant funds so that we can provide school food programming in a universal way so that every student has access to a meal across the country.鈥�
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