The Labour Party has pledged to keep its free healthy school lunches programme if re-elected.
Labour will commit $650 million to continue the programme at nearly 100 schools and kura for three years, leader Chris Hipkins announced on Friday.
In Government, Labour had already provided further funding to continue the programme through to the end of 2024 but has now committed to keeping the programme in place for the full next Parliamentary term in re-elected.
Since 2020, the programme has delivered more than 100 million lunches to 230,000 children in 996 schools, about 25 percent of the country's education facilities. These are the schools that face the largest socioeconomic barriers to achieving in education.
"This is a programme we are incredibly proud of and parents, principals and teachers are all agreed on the benefits of kids learning on full tummies. Principals I meet with tell me this is a gamechanger for supporting kids’ wellbeing, attendance and focus," Hipkins said.
"Committing funding for free and healthy school lunches out to next term will give families and schools certainty that the programme is here to stay."
According to the Ministry of Education, about one in five children in New Zealand live in households that struggle to put good-quality food on the table.
Hipkins said the policy will save families who are struggling with the cost of living $33 per week per child, or up to $1250 per year for each child.
Hipkins also took aim at ACT, which has committed to scrapping the programme. Hipkins also said he is concerned National will chop the programme.
"With the gaping hole in National's tax plan, I am concerned that free and healthy school lunches will be on the chopping block to fund tax cuts for the wealthy," Hipkins said.
However, National leader Christopher Luxon has previously stated his party supports the programme.
Meanwhile, the Green Party has already committed to continuing the free school lunches scheme and said the party will expand it to more children by funding it with a wealth tax.
