What’s for Christmas dinner Mr Pope?

"Mamite sandwiches and weetbix"

a song made famous by Don Franks

"Marmite Sandwiches and weetbix, anyone can afford that...."

MARMITE SANDWHICHES & WEETBIX

One day it came to the PM's attention
that kids were going hungry at school
In the lord's own land of milk and honey there was
not enough breakfast, or lunch money

Bolger said now listen to me,
noone has to starve in this country
the answer is as easy as ABC - here's all you have to do

Get marmite sandwhiches and weetbix
anybody can afford that
marmite sandwhiches and weetbix
if you don't like that you're a spoiled brat
I admit its not my personal diet
as a rich mp I don't have to rely on it
butmarmite sandwhiches and weetbix
that's a plenty for you.

now don't say you can't afford it
I know that you can pay
I saw some of you down at Georgy Pie
spending up big on benefit day
if you can afford a Georgy Pie
your benefits must be way too high
butmarmite sandwhiches and weetbix
what more could you possibly need.

Way way back in the last depression
the Tories told the poor to eat grass
they'd never get away with that today - they'd be out on their arse
now they've become more sophisticated
they tell us to eat it when its dehydrated
and malted and salted and - bugger me days - sounds like the same old thing

Down by the Sea of Galilee Jesus fed five thousand souls
with just two pieces of battered fish
and five little unfilled rolls
now Bolger wants to fix up a hungry nation
with his weetbix and marmite explanation - shut down all of the food banks -
we ain't gonna need then no more!

marmite sandwhiches and weetbix
that's the stuff that you ought to buy
marmite sandwhiches and weetbix
at 6 cents a biscuit the price is not high
if you forgo your tobbacco and lotto and beer
and don't rent a video all of the year
marmite sandwhiches and weetbix
will be well within your means

marmite sandwhiches and weetbix
will make this country great
we can all share in the recovery
as we humbly masticate
the wolf will be driven from your door
its a wonder noone thought of it before
- here's to marmite sandwhiches and weetbix
for breakfast dinner and tea.

I'd like to see some of these self-righteous pricks try to live for a year on the unemployment benefit, especially in Auckland or Wellington where rent swallows up a greater proportion of your 'accommodation suppliment'. Also, when was the last time that the benefit rates increased at the same speed as electricity and telephone charges?

I think it is a bit rich coming from the government on how 2 'save money on food', but at the same time, if it promoting GROWING, cooking, and eating vegetables then there are some positives there.

i think most nzers are pushed 4 money and most make cutbacks on the quality of their food in order 2 make that hire purchase payment. The whole country benefits from everyone eating a healthy diet, in terms of health budget, peoples disposition etc. So why limit distributing this 2 'poor' people? Most people could benefit from eating cheaply and healthy.

I haven't seen the book, but would like to know how the poor are meant 2 afford 2 have land 2 grow these things? The powers that be are not very sympathetic to communities attempting to feed themselves. In fact, all of our ‘parks’ with trees are non food producing trees.

In the newspaper report that I read it talked about meat dishes which is extremely expensive protein. If we are really talking about eating cheaply, i think it does come down to people growing their own staples, onions potatoes and greens, and spending $5 a week on things like lentils and rice. Although ultimately you probably could grow these.

If I ran the world, I would have people having access to community gardens, and box containers on long term loan to grow things in. Also, unused tyres could be used to grow potatoes in. Everyone would have access to how they could eat really cheaply and healthily.

The real question is, is government wanting people to eat cheaply (community access fruiti and nut trees in public places and community gardens etc) or do they just want to tell people what to do? It's a nice liberal attempt at 'marmite sandwiches and weetbix'.

btw, as someone who is wheat intolerant, I think it is crazy to expect people to live on sandwiches , probably white processed wheat, with some yeast extract and processed hydrogenated margarine fat, and then weetbix, also white processed wheat. maybe he was getting a campaign donation from australian wheat board?

"If we are really talking about eating cheaply, i think it does come down to people growing their own staples"

There used to be small community gardens up the top of central park. Possums and human pests can quickly put paid to a lot of work if you don't have security.

Being lucky enough to part own a small city property I'm able to grow a bit of stuff. This seldom extends much beyond lemons, apples, silver beet, rosemary,and parsley. That's fun to grow and nice to have but is only a tiny fraction of what's needed to live on. I've tried potatoes in tyres and plastic sheeted home made glass houses and once had all the front down in onions and beans. And, one year, tobacco. I don't do that anymore because I'd rather spend the substantial time required doing other stuff and even if you cover the whole section its not enough to live on.

The bastards who put out shitty little patronising cook books can choose whatever they like to eat because money is not a problem for them.

SNAP have cut to the chase by exposing the cookbook as " yet another right-wing initiative led by this Labour government which has been working towards cutting back social security costs"

Every union leader in possesion of a spine should join the condemnation of Pope's book and demand real justice for low paid workers.

Here's the intro from the WI site:

http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/publications/cookbook.html

And the cookbook itself (PDF):

http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/documents/publications/cookbook.pdf

I think the book is ripe for someone taking the suggestions and proving that you can't actually do what is suggested (it says how many serves of meat, veges, grains etc per day) when on the dole.

Re the growing one's own food - I don't think it's possible to do this on ones own longterm unless one has the money to buy in things like compost, seeds, seedlings, tools, labour or machinery for clearing land, landscaping etc. Most cultures that have sustainable agriculture do so collectively.

I do think that skills are being lost generationally. It takes knowledge to garden successfully, and once one has the knowledge then one needs to gain experience. This can be frustrating for people on their own. Community gardens are the way to go, because they bring people together and out of isolation (as well as pooling resources).

We don't seem very good at that though.

...actually found it...on DBP's parliamentary website

It seems that the main reason for all the reactions on this post is because the cookbook is by the government, and so it is (possibly correctly) seen as patronising rather than helpful. But would you see anything wrong in benefits rights groups or "food not bombs" or similar groups producing something similar? How about if adult community education courses or budgeting advice groups (subsidised by the government) provided the same service.

Just wondered, because as a vegan on a limited income I can feed myself on $35-40 per week, and when spring comes I will be able to cut that down further by growing my own vegetables. But a friend of mine also on a low income who still insists that meat is a necessary part of the diet spends twice that amount. So basic nutritional education would be important in reducing poverty.

The standard excuse given by the egg industry and the government on continuing battery cages is that the poor need cheap protein. But nutritionally that is nonsense. If you have a look at the food composition tables published by the Ministry of Health and Crop and Food, and then compare prices, you will soon discover that peas, beans, lentils and peanuts have far more protein per gramme than battery eggs. And besides New Zealanders already eat far too much protein. This sort of nutritional information should be made available. The government motives may be suspect but if the information does help beneficiaries produce cheap, nutritious meals that do not involve any animal cruelty then I am for it.

thank god i don't board with Phil the vegan

Phil, I'll take your word for it that gunk is tasty, I'm glad you enjoy it, but personally I'm going to go right on ordering from the same menu as your cat.