More bad news for families as food prices rise again

Food prices have risen again, and it's not getting any easier for thousands of individuals and families to make ends meet, the Green Party said today.

"The cost of food has been increasing for months, and John Key's Government is making things worse, not better," Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said.

Figures released by Statistics New Zealand today showed that food prices have risen 7.5 percent in the year to June 2011, and 1.4 percent since May. The price of fruit and vegetables alone has risen 15.7 percent in the past year.

"Rising food and petrol prices have thrown thousands of household budgets out of balance, and the Government's tax changes have put added pressure on everyday New Zealanders," Mrs Turei said.

"The GST increase has contributed to the price hikes, and the so-called 'tax-switch' has actually left thousands of low and middle-income families worse off.

"Many people on low-incomes and benefits are forced to spend their entire income on the basics like rent and power, while putting fresh, healthy food on the table is out now out of the question.

"Around the country, food banks and community ministries are experiencing peak demand for their services. While they are doing a great job, they are struggling to keep up," Mrs Turei said.

Mrs Turei said policies were urgently needed that would change the picture for individuals and families before they needed crisis support from food banks.

"There are steps we can take to address the big picture of poverty and rising living costs.

"We can raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, make Working for Families work for every low-income family, and invest in study support for sole parents and beneficiaries.

"These policies alone would bring 100,000 kids out of poverty, but this won't happen under John Key's watch," Mrs Turei said.