The Labour-Alliance minority Government is quite literally taking food out of the mouths of New Zealanders on low or fixed incomes, National's Social Services spokesman Bob Simcock said today.

The latest Food Price Index, released today, shows food prices went up by 1.6 percent in the month between December last year and January this year.

"On an annualised basis that means food costs went up 4 percent in the year to January. If you look at Labour's first 13 months Labour in office food prices went up a whopping 6.5 percent.

"There's no way families on fixed incomes can keep pace with that sort of increase. Quite simply many have been forced to cut back on the amount of food they can afford, or go for cheaper less nutritious meals.

"Is it any wonder foodbank queues are growing faster than ever before. This flows on to all areas of society; for example a child who is not properly fed will be less able to concentrate or perform well in school.

"Labour and the Alliance are hurting the very people who are traditionally their most ardent supporters. Every family in this country is demonstrably affected by price rises of this magnitude. But the families on low and fixed incomes, who once looked to Labour with hope, must now be looking with anger and contempt for a Government which has deserted them," Bob Simcock said.

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