Discussion · Government Orders
Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault Liberal
“Children cannot learn when they are hungry. We created a permanent national school food program to help. In New Brunswick, we are spending 11.3 million dollars over three years to provide free breakfast in all schools and support a pay-what-you-can lunch program.”
“Mr. Speaker, I share my colleague’s concern. No child should ever have to spend a day in the classroom with an empty stomach. It is not conducive to learning. As a government, we have taken this issue seriously. We established Canada’s national school food program, and given the program’s success and importance, we made it permanent. For example, in my province of New Brunswick, this translates into an agreement valued at $11.3 million over three years. This investment is making the free breakfast program available in all schools across the province of New Brunswick. In addition, the government is supporting the launch of a pay-what-you-can lunch program administered by our provincial partners. This is a good example of a concrete measure that allows us to support children and families, while helping to create a healthy learning environment that meets their needs.”
Mr. Speaker, I share my colleague’s concern. No child should ever have to spend a day in the classroom with an empty stomach. It is not conducive to learning. As a government, we have taken this issue seriously. We established Canada’s national school food program, and given the program’s success and importance, we made it permanent. For example, in my province of New Brunswick, this translates into an agreement valued at $11.3 million over three years. This investment is making the free breakfast program available in all schools across the province of New Brunswick. In addition, the government is supporting the launch of a pay-what-you-can lunch program administered by our provincial partners. This is a good example of a concrete measure that allows us to support children and families, while helping to create a healthy learning environment that meets their needs.