Today the Prime Minister of Aotearoa New Zealand went on national radio show and told the nation that parents of hungry school children should send their child to school with a marmite sandwich and an apple in a paper bag.
The comments on social media are very much reflected in what he said, which tells me he cares about popularity rather than our kids. Deeply disappointing.
Luxon, Seymour and the rest of thus government will call themselves libertarians, I’m sure. They and all libertarians are by definition, selfish. They exhibit the ‘rich so I’m sorted’ mentality. Comments like marmite sandwiches etc could only come from a person brought up in a household that feeds children breakfast and an evening meal as well as sending them to school with a lunchbox. Any thought of being unable to pay the rent, live on minimum wages and not having a shiny new Tesla to ride around in, does not even enter their privileged minds.
😱 Apart from ANYTHING else -* Marmite is high in sodium so not a suitable standalone food & certainly not a substitute for what was in place until Seymour wrecked it all * Some people (me!) can't eat apples. That aside, how do you say you are completely out of touch with everyday families without saying the actual words⁉️ Oh right... He already did... "wealthy & sorted" 🤷
That video made me want to chuck up my own lunch, which was home-made, nutritious, tasty and cheap, unlike the slop Seymour and his apologists keep pushing. Thanks for shining a light on the uncaring cruelty of Luxon's throwaway lines. There are peole out there who, like him, have no idea, and care less, about the lives of kids living in poverty. Shame on them.
Great article, Dr Bex – the Coalition of Cruelty continues its attacks on our most vulnerable, slapping on ‘labels’ to demean them. We must keep calling them out.
Luxon doubled down on his let them eat Marmite comment and went even further, suggesting in Question Time on Tuesday that some parents are simply too lazy to make their kids' lunches:
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Does he stand by his statement that if parents are unhappy with the Government’s school lunches, they should “go make a Marmite sandwich and put an apple in a bag”?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Absolutely.
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Does he believe that parents are sending their kids to school hungry because they are too lazy to make lunches or because they cannot afford to make their kids’ lunches?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Some yes.
Beyond the wilful ignorance and dismissal of the school lunch programme’s issues, Luxon again reveals his deep condescension towards those in poverty, miscasting some as ‘lazy’! Sadly, many in society buy into this demeaning rhetoric.
Well said Dr Bex! I was totally appalled (although unfortunately not surprised) by Luxon's comments. Playing to his base supporters :(
The comments on social media are very much reflected in what he said, which tells me he cares about popularity rather than our kids. Deeply disappointing.
Luxon, Seymour and the rest of thus government will call themselves libertarians, I’m sure. They and all libertarians are by definition, selfish. They exhibit the ‘rich so I’m sorted’ mentality. Comments like marmite sandwiches etc could only come from a person brought up in a household that feeds children breakfast and an evening meal as well as sending them to school with a lunchbox. Any thought of being unable to pay the rent, live on minimum wages and not having a shiny new Tesla to ride around in, does not even enter their privileged minds.
Shame on you libertarians!
😱 Apart from ANYTHING else -* Marmite is high in sodium so not a suitable standalone food & certainly not a substitute for what was in place until Seymour wrecked it all * Some people (me!) can't eat apples. That aside, how do you say you are completely out of touch with everyday families without saying the actual words⁉️ Oh right... He already did... "wealthy & sorted" 🤷
And…”entitled “
I wish I could upvote this 10 times. Well said, Dr Bex and thank you.
Thank you! It is so utterly enraging
Agreed, it's all quite unsettling and very sad. Thanks for your mahi, Dr Bex and your excellent coverage.
I'm becoming a serial Emailer. I email Luxon and my local MP on a regular basis voicing my disproval of what their doing.
I see another one coming.
That video made me want to chuck up my own lunch, which was home-made, nutritious, tasty and cheap, unlike the slop Seymour and his apologists keep pushing. Thanks for shining a light on the uncaring cruelty of Luxon's throwaway lines. There are peole out there who, like him, have no idea, and care less, about the lives of kids living in poverty. Shame on them.
My wife quipped “Marie Antoinette said let them eat cake”, warning to Luxon, that didn’t end well!
No one has mentioned that Marmite and apples are expensive.. Cheap White bread tastes like cardboard.
Great article, Dr Bex – the Coalition of Cruelty continues its attacks on our most vulnerable, slapping on ‘labels’ to demean them. We must keep calling them out.
Luxon doubled down on his let them eat Marmite comment and went even further, suggesting in Question Time on Tuesday that some parents are simply too lazy to make their kids' lunches:
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Does he stand by his statement that if parents are unhappy with the Government’s school lunches, they should “go make a Marmite sandwich and put an apple in a bag”?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Absolutely.
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Does he believe that parents are sending their kids to school hungry because they are too lazy to make lunches or because they cannot afford to make their kids’ lunches?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Some yes.
Beyond the wilful ignorance and dismissal of the school lunch programme’s issues, Luxon again reveals his deep condescension towards those in poverty, miscasting some as ‘lazy’! Sadly, many in society buy into this demeaning rhetoric.