A healthy, happy, productive society needs access to nutritious and affordable food. As cost of living pressures continue to increase for Canberrans, the ACT Greens are committing to further food relief for households and public schools students.
"Food is not a luxury, it's essential to our wellbeing. But the market is failing us - price-gouging, and forcing people into impossible choices between food and medicine, or food and rent," said Emma Davidson MLA, recontesting her south Canberra seat of Murrumbidgee.
"In a period of just six months this year, 51 per cent more people started visiting the YWCA's food hub in Lanyon. In just one month, St. John's Care started helping out 100 more Canberra families.
"For many people, this is their first time having to ask for help with the basics, and it's essential we work together as a community to respond."
The ACT Greens will:
- Increase funding for community-run food relief programs, with $330,000 per year on top of the funding already committed in the most recent ACT Budget
- Expand the provision of free breakfast and lunch to 20 ACT public schools by 2028, and provide free fruit twice a week to every public school student
- Support food and emergency relief agencies with improved logistics and storage
- Fully fund the Social Recovery Framework to strengthen community recovery after a disaster.
ACT Greens spokesperson on education, Laura Nuttall MLA, said food is fundamental to a good education.
"Kids have hungry minds, but they also need full bellies to be able to learn properly at school.
"Food is a basic need. It's essential. But right now, there are students in the ACT starting their days running on empty.
"Providing food at school will improve learning and attendance, and help families struggling to afford enough good food.
"The Greens will provide free breakfast and lunch three days each week at 20 of the most in-need schools in the ACT, and give free fruit to every public school student at least twice a week."
ACT Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury said the food affordability crisis is significant in the overall cost pressures facing Canberrans.
"Make no mistake, this is a cost of living election, but only the Greens have got plans to transform the circumstances we face.
"While we work to fix the price-gouging supermarket duopoly, the ACT Greens will make sure Canberrans don't go hungry at home or at school.
"While we work to fix the broken housing market, the ACT Greens will build thousands more public homes so Canberrans can rent from the government at a price they can afford, knowing the rent they pay is invested back into this community.
"While people are juggling so many cost pressures, the Greens will deliver 160,000 free GP appointments each year, so you don't have to choose between seeing a doctor or putting food on the table.
"All this is possible, if you vote for it."
The ACT Greens' plans for food relief and to address the cost of living are detailed on the ACT Greens website.
