MEDIA RELEASE

Nurses support ‘Feed the Kids’ Bill

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is supporting the MANA party’s Bill which aims to set up breakfast and lunch programmes in all decile 1 and 2 schools.

“Child poverty must be tackled’, said NZNO Nursing policy adviser/researcher Dr Jill Clendon. “Malnourished, hungry children can’t learn; if they can’t learn then there is no chance of them being successful at school.”

Our organisation is committed to examining and addressing the social determinants of health (poverty, education, housing). The poverty cycle - the reason kids are hungry in the first place - can only be broken though leadership from all sectors, particularly parliament.

Nurses see the health impact on children who have poor diets every day –they can’t concentrate in the classroom, are more prone to infections and dietary disorders, have decayed teeth, and are tired and lethargic. Ensuring children from our poorest communities have the food they need at school is one step towards the goal of addressing child hunger and helping families raise healthy kids.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The 2013 Budget

Among Thursday’s main talking points:

We are apparently on track for a margin-of-error $75 million surplus, now in sight for 2014/15. But this sickly creature is hobbling out of the lab on the basis of all kinds of facilitative conjuring: such as trimming by $200 million the amount of new spending next time around.

With this strictly nominal surplus in sight, the 1984-ish justification for eternal austerity will have a news talisman: namely, getting Crown debt down to 20% of GDP by 2020. More>>

Budget Report, Lockup Audio & Images: Budget Day 2013 As always and especially after the managerial mishaps of the past few weeks and months, (e.g. Aaron Gilmore, the Mighty River Power share float, the GCSB mishaps) Budget Day 2013 was always going to be a pageant of reassurance... More>>

Budget 2013 Comment: Plain Sailing, But It's No America's Cup Pattrick Smellie: Compared to the last four budgets, this year's reflects an economy moving out of recession and into calmer waters... Yet if the fastest annual growth rate we can expect over the next two years is 3 percent - with the Christchurch rebuild in full swing - then you'd have to say New Zealand's underlying low-growth problem is far from fixed. More>>

Auckland Discord: Govt’s Power Hungry Housing Approach A Threat - Labour

Last week the Government said this, ‘The Government commits not to use any proposed or existing powers ... to override the council's planning and consenting processes’. But its housing Bill says this; ‘If an accord cannot be reached in an area of severe housing unaffordability, the Government can intervene by establishing special housing areas and issuing consents for developers’. More>>

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• Earlier, Pre-Budget - Auckland Accord announced

Extending Protest Ban, Relaxing Permit Rules: Govt Abuses Urgency To Extend Anadarko Amendment

The Government is trying to pass legislation under urgency which would make the Anadarko Amendment – which limits protest at sea – apply to an additional 1.7 million square kilometres, the Green Party said today. More>>

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• Labour - Government to extend protest ban
• Greenpeace NZ - Oil Companies Lacking ‘Expertise’ and ‘Financial Ability’ Set to Be Handed Drilling Permits
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