PM dodges questions about KidsCan funding

new-zealand-national-party

Wed Dec 13 2017 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

PM dodges questions about KidsCan funding

Wednesday, 13 December 2017, 4:01 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

13 December 2017

The Prime Minister has left more questions unanswered than not, following revelations her Government is cutting funding to children’s charity KidsCan, National’s Spokesperson for Children Paula Bennett says.

“KidsCan has been told it will lose its $350,000 government funding from 1 July next year.

“They were told there would be no more funding and that they were not a priority. As soon as this news was made public, both the Minister and the Prime Minister have been scrambling to distance themselves from it.

“In Parliament today I asked Jacinda Ardern whether her Government would continue its $350,000 funding of KidsCan but she wouldn’t answer.

“Given the huge amount of food, clothing and hygiene products KidsCan have provided hundreds of thousands of Kiwi kids, I think they deserve some clarity.

“The Prime Minister’s ducking and diving around simple commitments like this begs the question; is funding to services like this being cut because her Government has over-committed itself to its idealistic 100 day plan?

“I have also heard that the Kickstart breakfast programme is at risk of losing their funding.

“For the Prime Minister to purport that reducing child poverty is a priority, and to then not give certainty to these organisations is appalling. Words and measurements alone won’t cut it for our vulnerable children. Prime Minister – please back them up with support for initiatives that work,” Mrs Bennett says.

ends

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