New Zealanders lash out over failure of ‘feed the kids’ measure
Netizens condemn lawmakers’ failure to approve a measure for state-funded school meals.
A bill to expand government-funded school breakfasts and lunches was voted down in a tight 61-59 tally in New Zealand’s parliament on Wednesday, stirring up a great deal of social media ire aimed at conservative Prime Minister John Key.
The “feed the kids” bill was backed by New Zealand’s Green Party and Maori Party, among others. Key’s New Zealand National Party and its allies opposed the bill, calling for more individual accountability on the part of parents and questioning the demonstrated need for expanded school meal programmes.
“We should expect parents to feed their children properly and the vast majority of them do,” Key said, according the New Zealand Newswire.