Will’s Word: How long should the Govt step in on free lunches?

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is in hot water once again after telling parents to “make a Marmite sandwich and put an apple in a bag”.

Sure, it sounds blunt, but honestly, he's not wrong. In a perfect world, parents wouldn't need the government to step in and feed their kids.

But let's be real, we don't live in a perfect world. Right now, around 230,000 kids rely on that free school lunch programme.

That's not because they prefer them over a packed lunch from home - It's because, for many, that lunch is the best meal they're getting all day.

There have been some issues with the revamped programme: Food arriving late, looking like a dog's breakfast, you name it.

No one's saying we should just accept bad meals but let's not lose sight of the fact that we're still giving out free food to kids who need it. It's a hell of a lot better than nothing.

It's no secret the Government has scaled back the programme, saving the taxpayer money.

Some agree with it, some don't. But either way, free lunches were never meant to be a forever thing - remember that?

The real goal should be making sure families can afford to feed their own kids in the first place. Luxon's comment might be a bit direct but he's not entirely wrong.

Listen to Will's Word on Facebook.

I certainly didn't have flash lunches. I grew up in South Auckland.

Getting the school lunch programme back then even in its current form, I would have been grateful for. This is coming from someone that grew up in Ōtara.

So any suggestion that my position is unreasonable or that I'm out of touch, frankly, just absurd. I get the struggle, I understand it.

So just a reminder, the food is free and it's something we shouldn't take for granted.

That's Will's Word.