Joe Trinder Mana News editor

The National government has been cruelly impoverishing the poorest of New Zealanders while funding rich man’s yacht races. Crushing the feed the kid’s bill was a step to far and using the lame excuse it’s the parents responsibility doesn’t cut it when government is spending so lavishly.

The debate is not about personal responsibility for parents it’s about we have enough money for Wars, Yacht races and Finance companies then we can afford to invest in our greatest resource the next generation. The people paying for your generations pensions are the present day young school children and if we neglect them don’t expect them to be industrious as their education suffered on our watch.

Why should a starving 5 year old child struggling to learn the alphabet in school later in life when they join the workforce pay for your pension? Your generation was offered Kiwi saver it was your parents responsibility to teach you the benefits of saving. If your parents didn’t’ impose kiwi saver on you that’s no different from parents that couldn’t afford school lunches.

Recently the Young Nat’s justified not feeding the kids using the article below on Eric Rush upbringing. Eric Rush upbringing was 50 years ago can’t be compared to the struggles parents are challenged with today. A bottle of milk in the 1970’s cost 25 cents and 1kg Weetbix was $1 dollar.

This was also prior to inflation and the invention of 15% GST  included in a 2 litre bottle of Meadow Fresh Milk that costs  $5.55 and $7 for 1kg Sanitarium Weetbix Biscuits. Just to get breakfast for the kids is $12.55 that’s not including sugar or fruit so kids aren’t eating tasteless soggy Weetbixs. The article below is out of touch with feeding a kid breakfast in the 21st century.

Below is optional spending that could have been diverted to feeding the kids

* $130M for Sky City

* $69M for Iraq troop deployment

* $1.5B for South Canterbury Finance bail out

* $30M for Americas cup  yacht race?

* $29M per flag referendum

* $??M upgrade of mass surveillance equipment for the GCSB

* $5M for new fleet BMW’s

* $??M In subsidies to help Statoil to drill for oil

* $30M to help out with Rio Tinto’s new smelter?