Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh used a B.C. food security platform to advocate for a national school lunch program in the upcoming budget.

sa国际传媒淧arents are doing everything they can to take care of their kids, but the cost of food just keeps going up. In a country as rich as ours, no child should ever have to go to school hungry,sa国际传媒� said Singh. sa国际传媒淲hile parents make big sacrifices to keep food on the table, grocery store CEOs like Galen Weston are making record profits at Canadianssa国际传媒� expense.sa国际传媒�

He was joined Wednesday morning (March 6) by Vancouver Island NDP MPs Rachel Blaney and Gord Johns at a press conference hosted by Courtenaysa国际传媒檚 food security non-profit LUSH Valley, aimed at raising awareness about the importance of providing nutritious meals to students.

Singh is prioritizing a national school lunch program as one of his partysa国际传媒檚 chief objectives.

sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e making it very clear in this upcoming budget (that) one of our specific demands is that the federal government finally commit to a national school lunch program,sa国际传媒� said Singh. sa国际传媒淲e want to make this happen across the countrysa国际传媒� in every city, in every community, so that every kid can go to school and know that theysa国际传媒檒l have a healthy lunch.sa国际传媒�

In turn, such a program could also alleviate a significant source of stress and financial burden for parents across the country, believes the politician.

As the NDP leader stated, school districts across B.C. received provincial funding through the Feeding Futures program, but Singh is pushing the federal government to do its part.

Despite a good working relationship with the minority Liberal government, Singh remained critical of their involvement in solving the issue of food insecurity in schools.

sa国际传媒淚 want to point out that the Liberals have promised to bring (a national school lunch program) for years and havensa国际传媒檛 done so,sa国际传媒� said Singh. sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檝e been dragging their feet, stringing people along and thatsa国际传媒檚 wrong.

sa国际传媒淲e are demanding that the Liberal government bring in funding for a national school lunch program so every kid can get access to a nutritious meal at school.sa国际传媒�

Singh also expressed dissatisfaction with the Conservativessa国际传媒� handling of the situation.

sa国际传媒淩ecently we had a vote on a national school lunch program and Pierre Poilievresa国际传媒檚 (party) voted against it,sa国际传媒� said Singh. sa国际传媒淗ow could they look a kid in the eyes, who hasnsa国际传媒檛 been getting nutritious meals, and say theysa国际传媒檙e gonna vote against a school lunch program?sa国际传媒�

Before Singhsa国际传媒檚 address, NDP MP for Courtenay-Alberni Gord Johns took the chance to highlight the work of a local non-profit in fighting against food insecurity.

sa国际传媒淥rganizations like Lush Valley here in the Comox Valley are going above and beyond to ensure that people in our communities have food,sa国际传媒� said Johns. sa国际传媒淕roups (like LUSH) are leading the way and are filling crucial gaps that are widening as poverty rates rise.sa国际传媒�

Yet, Johns recognized that the grunt of the work falls on non-profits across the country.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 crucial to point out that it should not fall to organizations like LUSH Valley to do this work without proper support from all levels of government,sa国际传媒� said Johns. sa国际传媒淲hile the B.C. government has been a meaningful partnersa国际传媒� the federal government hasnsa国际传媒檛 been doing its share, (and) families are still waiting for this help. We need the federal government to fill the gap.sa国际传媒�

For LUSH Valleysa国际传媒檚 executive director Maurita Prato, potential help from the federal government could make a night and day difference amid this current crisis.

sa国际传媒淩ight now, wesa国际传媒檙e supporting 300 school district families through our (programs, but) there continues to be so much need,sa国际传媒� said Prato. sa国际传媒�(Organizations like ours are) really pushing wraparound policies (and are asking) for the federal governmentsa国际传媒� to put in significant funds so that we can provide school food programming in a universal way so that every student has access to a meal across the country.sa国际传媒�

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