Whanganui letters: Continued support needed for school lunch programme

School lunches packed up for Whanganui's Keith St School. Photo / Bevan Conley

I hear complaints have been aired concerning free school lunches being wasted because children don’t like them. If there are people concerned that lunches are being wasted or children not enjoying them, please contact the principals concerned. The providers have to provide good lunches or change provider. Please deal with the problem instead of sending complaints nationwide.

Many families are under a lot of financial strain; prices of fuel, food and everything else going up, and the provision of lunches in schools is a great help. It is not good enough for the children of this nation to be underfed or poorly fed and expected to learn. Great Britain has provided free lunches to schools since 1947. It is a great relief for many families to have this provision for their children, a financial and welcome relief.

Any political party expecting votes should not threaten this dire need. It is essential for our children to be well fed in order for their brains to function well enough to learn. Two-minute noodles have no nutritional value and should not be the daily food for New Zealand children. Many families are very grateful for the provision of lunches in school. This should not be a political football for out-of-touch, overpaid politicians to threaten us with cutting off while they overfeed themselves.

C SALISBURY

South Taranaki

Political parties offer marked differences

The choice at our upcoming election has never been more marked.

A National/Act coalition government will build more prisons, incarcerate more youth (very disproportionally Māori), largely ignore climate change, dismantle Māori health and wellbeing initiatives and cater largely for the well-off. Needless to say, beneficiaries, low-income earners, renters, superannuants who need their super and Māori in general will suffer. One just needs to examine the Act Party policies to realise the extent of this. A largely authoritarian state that will control the disadvantaged and dissenting by statutory order and policy. Most of these actions fly in the face of informed reason and even transgress human rights.

A Labour/Greens/Te Pāti Māori government will tackle climate change, listen to expert advice in dealing with problem youth, while doing everything possible to protect victims of crime ... and instigate policies that will raise the level of the disadvantaged.

Statistics tell us that proportionally more middle and older aged Pākehā men favour a National/Act government to protect their wealth and status. An example is the repeated ads promoting the National Party Whanganui candidate I get in my mailbox, on my cellphone and in our newspaper, backed by the wealth of the National Party.

I am an old Pākehā man but I see things differently and prefer to look at the future for our younger ones, viewing a National/Act government as regressive and a Labour/Greens/Māori coalition as progressive.

KEN CARVELL

Whanganui

Band members sought

I am interested if anyone knows any of the members of the Minor Dance Band that used to play at St Peter’s dances in 1962-65.

It was a very popular band, and all members were young Whanganui men. I think a Mr Pointer was manager. They did a record named after an NAC flight that came into Whanganui.

I was part of a committee that arranged the dances every month.

My interest is I have heard the record and was hoping someone might still have a copy.

GRAEME BARSANTI

Marlborough

Note: If you can help, please contact editor@whanganuichronicle.co.nz for Graeme Barsanti’s email address.