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 stand by his statement to Radio New Zealand on 22 October that about 15 percent of kids in decile 1 to 4 schools were “clearly in need” of breakfast at school for a variety of reasons, including “they are unsure if they are going to get a lot of lunch or dinner”?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY : Yes, but if the member was to quote me from the entire interview, she will also acknowledge that what I said was that was a very anecdotal number.

Metiria Turei : What do principals tell him are the reasons why children come to school without breakfast or lunch?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY : Truthfully, there is a wide variety of reasons, but it is not for me to analyse them. What it is for me to do is to show leadership, and that is exactly what the Government did in partnering with Fonterra and Sanitarium to provide breakfast in schools for every child who wanted it.

Metiria Turei : Does the Prime Minister believe that the State should also provide lunch at school for the 15 percent of children in decile 1 to 4 schools, whom he has said are clearly in need, if their parents cannot, for whatever reason, provide them with that lunch?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY : I do not believe that the number of children who go to decile 1 to 4 schools who do not have lunch is 15 percent. I have asked extensively at the decile 1, 2, 3, and 4 schools I have been to. Quite a number of principals actually even reject the notion that they need breakfast in schools. Those who do take breakfasts in schools tell me that for the odd child who does not have lunch, they either give them some more breakfast or provide them with lunch. But what they have said to me is that the number of children in those schools who actually require lunch is the odd one or two.

Metiria Turei : Does the Prime Minister believe that the State has a responsibility to provide food—breakfast and lunch—for hungry children in schools, when their parents cannot, for whatever reason, provide it?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY : I believe that parents have a responsibility to provide lunch. What I do acknowledge is that sometimes schools will provide a lunch if one is not provided. As I said to the member just before, the evidence I see from the principals I ask—I go to a lot of schools and I ask every principal that question, and I ask every teacher I can that question—is that the number of children who turn up without lunch is extremely few.

Metiria Turei : If the parents cannot provide lunch and schools are unable to provide lunch, and he will not have his Government provide lunch, then who will feed these hungry kids?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY : I have not found a single principal who will not provide lunch for a child who is actually hungry.