Image credit: X/@FrankCaputoKTC

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Caputo’s contradiction – yes to food bank, no to school food bill

Dec 20, 2023 | 5:55 AM

IT SEEMS A CONTRADICTION that MP Frank Caputo tweeted a photo of himself and some local politicians and others at the Holiday Train the other night shortly after voting against a bill aimed at creating a national school meals program.

That’s because it is. Caputo’s tweet commented, “A beautiful #Kamloops #Thompson #Cariboo night to welcome the CP Holiday Train. What a turnout, with proceeds to the food bank.” He added a Canada Helps link where people can donate.

Supporting the food bank is a great thing. But when Private Member’s Bill C-322 came up for a vote at second reading earlier this month, Caputo and other Conservatives voted against it.

Liberals, NDP, Greens and the Bloc all voted in favour.

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Conservatives claim the bill would only create an expensive study into what types of food should be put into school lunches. It’s true the bill references definitions of nutritious food. It’s also true the bill refers to development of “a national framework to establish a school food program to ensure that all children in Canada have access to healthy food.”

And, in fact, the bill is entitled, “An Act to develop a national framework to establish a school food program.”

What the Conservatives were really up to was to use debate on the bill to continue their tiresome Axe the Tax trope. They will take every opportunity to blame pretty much everything on the carbon tax.

Their response to the school food program proposal was to insist it wouldn’t be needed if only the carbon tax were abolished, which would, various Tory MPs insisted, make food affordable in one fell swoop.

This, despite the fact the Bank of Canada says the price on carbon contributes only 0.15 percentage points to inflation, including the cost of food.

So, talking about combatting hunger issues and praising food banks while trying to sideline a program intended to give school kids healthy meals is hypocritical.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.