Halving Food Banks will cost us all

One of the real frustrations of this Government is their needless counterproductive cruelty.

Every single agency that worked with the homeless told this Government that cutting back on outreach, food banks and Emergency Housing changes would result in a tsunami of homeless.

When the exact things that were warned about occurred, what was National’s response? Arrest the homeless.

I fear the same short sighted cruelty will occur the same counter productive impacts with this inane decision to half the food banks…

Luxon’s Government nearly halves food bank funding as demand hits record high

The Green Party says this Government has nearly halved funding for food banks in Budget 2026, extending the $15 million in annual support for just one more year before cutting it to $8 million a year from 2027, at the very moment demand has never been higher.

“Food banks are the last lifeline for the people doing it the toughest, and this Government has chosen to nearly halve their funding,” says Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson. 

“Demand has never been higher. The NZ Food Network is now supporting more than half a million people every month, a 165 per cent increase since 2020. Cutting food bank funding now is cruel.” 

“This Government is fuelling unemployment and has no plan to end the cost-of-living crisis it presides over. They are cutting benefits and now they are cutting food banks. They are pulling away the last supports people rely on at the exact moment they need them most.” 

“They have found just $23,000 more for school breakfasts while more than a quarter of tamariki live in households where food runs out. That tells you everything about where this Government’s priorities sit.” 

“Food banks shouldn’t need to exist. But while they do, there is no excuse for halving their funding,” says Davidson.

NZ Greens

…FFS!

600 000 Kiwis rely on food banks every single month…

Cost of living crisis: More than half a million people rely on food charity each month

Stuff

…cutting Food banks in half  will impact the poorest amongst us and cause enormous stress in places where stress is already too much.

We have a terrible domestic violence culture, and are now adding hunger into that world.

There is an obscenity that our Food Banks are the only Banks that are bleeding.

Halving Food banks will cost us all.