A lawyer Maori launched a petition asking the government to cancel the Compass Group’s school lunch contract, saying that the company repeatedly did not fulfill its obligations, leaving Kai “horrible, disgusting and inert.”
Tania Waikato, who has over 20 years of legal experience, launched the petition on March 20.
“I think a lot of people who are facing the attacks on Maori and the most vulnerable by the coalition government have already had enough,” she said. “I already had enough.”
It came just a few weeks after the launch of an investigation by the Ministry of Primary Industries at the School Lunch Collective (coordinated by Compass Group NZ) after they served lunch for children with melted plastic packaging in the content.
Four food security investigations have been launched since the collective replaced local suppliers this year.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour said the cost of the previous lunch scheme was unsustainable and the production and delivery of meals was improving.
From a perspective to the maori
Waikato said he was taken to act not only as a lawyer, but as a mother.
“My son will never know what it’s like to starve and have to try one of those horrible, disgusting, not edible lunches. But I was a poor boy growing up, so I know how it is.
“These children – without their own fault, are experiencing poverty – they are experiencing hunger and we have responsibility as a society.”
She said the decision to remove contracts from local suppliers ignored the fundamental values of the Manaakitanga Maori and community care.
“In te to Maori, you are judged by your Manhaaki level by your Manuhiri, and your level of Manaaki goes through food,” she said.
“This is the main difference between the way this government analyzes this. This is just another expense item on your balance sheet.
“That’s why they canceled these contracts and said, ‘No, no, $ 3 for lunch is enough. Let’s make the cut price, no matter how much we can do it.
“Considering that in te to maori, [tamariki] They are our most vulnerable and most precious Taonga, and they deserve the best we can give them. “
Waikato said the government should restore contracts with local suppliers who were providing school lunch services before 2025.
“We have an abundant society. We have so much kai in Aotearoa, good Kai, that it should be going to the most vulnerable children.
“And for our government to sit there and say, ‘No, okay. Just give it -Pig slope:’ It’s just not good enough.”
Contract violations and increasing concerns
Waikato said a former client, who had already been a local school lunch supplier in Rotorua, lost his contract when Compass assumed – leading to job losses and what she called a “dishonorable” transition process.
“Observing the ridiculous results absolutely of this decision and what came up – they are not fulfilling the contract they received,” she said.
“Not only are they not fulfilling this, but what they are delivering is so below the acceptable standards. It’s really scandalous that they still haven’t canceled it.”
Seymour said earlier that the leverage of the private sector experience for the scheme would serve the savings of taxpayers of US $ 130 million per year.
But since its launch, there have been complaints about food quality, meal plastic, delay or not delivery and dangerously hot meals.
Waikato said that putting stress in a system that was already emphasized was “undescribable” and said the government was ignoring the problem because the most affected were “poor children.”
“They don’t care if this is affecting our most vulnerable, because in their minds, what are we going to do about it? What a lot of poor children will do about it?”
The petition aims at one million signatures
Waikato said he expects the petition to send a strong message to the government and force it to act.
“If we get so many signatures … and I’m talking hundreds of thousands. Even if we could reach a million, that would be amazing.
“[The government] I won’t hear people like me, just by calling them. People are calling them left, right and center, but they will hear the numbers. “
The petition ends on May 31st.
In a statement to RNZ, Seymour said: “At a cost to the country of more than $ 340 million a year, the school lunch program was not sustainable the way it was operating under the labor government.
“The enormous cost of the program is presumably because the work had not financed it beyond the end of the last school year.
“Last week, the school lunch collective recorded 99.8% of punctual delivery and meal production rates increased considerably. The surplus was an average of 5.7% last week compared to 9% registered in the previous government program.
“RNZ may remain fixed on negatives, but we are focused on the future and ensure that the program delivered.”
In a statement to RNZ, a gateway to the school lunch collective said it acknowledged that there were challenges during the period one.
“Despite these challenges, more than 450 schools receive daily lunches from drivers from New Zealand, reaching more than 98% of punctual delivery this week.
“The enhanced planning of the menu based on school feedback, refined safety protocols, and a renewed focus on reducing food waste has positioned the program to better meet students’ needs in communities across the country.”
The -void door said these challenges arose from unexpected supplies restrictions and the settlement of a Kave partner, Libelle Auckland’s group.
“Despite this setback, our teams have advanced to ensure the continuity of meals for thousands of students. Our commitment to the program is such that we have now entered into a conditional purchase of the Libelle group, an agreement that ensures more than 200 jobs of people employed as part of the school lunch program.”
