Turei Metiria: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTurei Metiria: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 11 March 2015. Volume:703;Page:2114. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]2.METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes.Metiria Turei: Does the Prime Minister still consider that the number of children in low-decile schools who “actually require lunch is the odd one or two.”?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member would have to go back to the full interview that she is quoting from. I do not think that is a direct quote but what I did say was that the vast bulk of youngsters actually do come to school with lunch and I stand by that statement.Metiria Turei: How can it possibly be true that only the odd one or two kids in low-decile schools need lunch when since the beginning of this year alone 1000 more children have joined the KidsCan waiting list meaning that 7500 children are now waiting for KidsCan’s help?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The starting point of the member’s question is wrong and she knows it is wrong because I just corrected it in the first answer. Putting that to one side actually this is the Government that supported KidsCan. This is the Government that has enabled it to have more resources to do the very good work that Julie Helson does.Metiria Turei: Does the Prime Minister still think that the number of kids in low-decile schools who require lunch is still just the odd one or two when nine schools in Northland are now on the waiting list for help from KidsCan?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member obviously has a hearing problem because she did not hear the answer to the first question or the second one. I know—that is right. She just likes to make things up as she goes along which actually destroys her own argument. If you cannot come up with decent statistics that actually stack up or decent quotes by definition you defeat your own argument.Metiria Turei: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was explicitly about the nine schools in Northland that are now on the KidsCan waiting list and the Prime Minister did not address that question.Mr SPEAKER: Order! That was not the specific question. The question also included an opening comment asking whether the Prime Minister still thinks the numbers involved are just simply one or two. That was the part the Prime Minister certainly addressed in his answer.Metiria Turei: Will the Prime Minister commit to spending just a fraction of the cost of the 10 new Northland bridges on the nine Northland schools so that the children in those schools can have lunch to eat every day?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I think it is important to understand what the Government does spend which is billions and billions and billions of dollars a year supporting low-income families and low-income New Zealanders. But one thing I do know is that a stronger roading infrastructure in Northland under a National-led Government will lead to stronger job growth. We already saw the GDP numbers for Northland this year as very very strong. We know that 7500 jobs have been created in Northland in the last 12 months. We know that this Government has spent three-quarters of a billion dollars on roading over the last 7 years in Northland which is 40 percent more than Labour did. Actually even on this side of the House we are in the slightly novel form of knowing which candidate we are going vote for.Metiria Turei: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question asked the Prime Minister whether he would commit to new funding for the nine Northland schools whose kids go without lunch every day. He did not address that question.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Again can I invite the member to carefully look at her question after question time. She included a statement around a fraction of what was being spent on the bridges announcement that was used in the House yesterday by the Government. The Prime Minister addressed that. He also addressed spending on education. The question was addressed.Metiria Turei: Will the Prime Minister vote for the “Feed the Kids Bill” in Parliament next week so that all political parties can work with experts to develop the best legislative solution so that all of our kids are being fed at school?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No and no for a very good reason. The vast majority of kids are actually fed by their parents. Their parents irrespective of their economic circumstances actually do a very good job of providing breakfast and lunch and the Government would far rather direct those resources on a targeted basis to those in need. The Government already supports the breakfast in schools programme. I am advised that 791 schools out of the 2500 schools approximately in New Zealand take up that programme in some part and I think the Government has got its target in the right direction.Metiria Turei: Will he at least commit to his Government working with cross-party agreement to provide food in schools given that KidsCan says that 23 percent on average and up to 90 percent of kids in schools are going without lunch every day?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I look forward to the quote from Julie that says that 90 percent of kids going to school in the approximately 2550 schools in New Zealand are going without lunch. I hate to tell the member but I reckon I have been to way more schools than she ever has. I have been a prolific visitor to schools in the 7 years I have been the Prime Minister. I will tell you what. Of the 500 schools I have been to if 90 percent of the kids did not have lunch I would be pretty surprised because I tell you what I have seen a lot of them munching their way through lots and lots of lunches. If the member wants to come with me to a school and I will name the school and 90 percent of the kids do not have lunch I personally will buy them lunch for the whole year.Metiria Turei: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am not in a position yet to hear the point of order.Metiria Turei: I would like to take the Prime Minister up on his invitation.Mr SPEAKER: That is not a point of order. The member is welcome to communicate with the Prime Minister later.