Roland Butler, Opposition Critic for Human Resources & Employment and MHA for the District of Port de Grave, is again questioning the success of the government=s Poverty Reduction Strategy, this time after  concerns were brought forward by food bank operators in the province that children may not be getting the food they need during the summer months. 

AA major concern raised by food bank operators is that over the summer months, both the school lunch program and the Kids Eat Smart Program do not provide meals for children,@ says Butler. AThis effectively leaves a gap of several months where the many children who depend on these services will not be getting the food and nutrition they need. This is clearly a problem that requires immediate and urgent government attention.@ 

These concerns come on the heels of reports in the media which indicated that close to 6 per cent of the province=s population uses food banks, the highest per capita rate in the entire country. AThis number translates into roughly 29,000 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and almost half of them are children. This is an  unacceptable number and one that justifies an immediate response.@ 

Last week in the House of Assembly, the Liberal MHA raised questions concerning the high dependence on food banks and the problems which will occur over the summer months. AThe minister gave no indication that he understood the seriousness of this situation or that he would be taking any action to address it. Clearly, this is an urgent matter and one that I fully intend to continue pushing forward. 

AThese current statistics are just  symptomatic of the overall problem in this province. While it is good to have a  Poverty Reduction Strategy in place,  failure to make any real headway in  reducing poverty in the short-term is not acceptable.   This government must get its act together and  focus on economic development in this province as a key priority to ensure the well-being of children throughout every community in our province.@