Labour Social Development and Children spokesperson Jacinda Ardern says the recent food in schools initiative is a positive step but questions whether it can help communities like Tauranga in the long term.

In Tauranga today as part of a whirlwind tour to the city, the opposition spokesperson met with local community groups, including Tauranga Community Foodbank Trust, Homes for Hope and Women's Refuge to discuss issues surrounding poverty, and the 270,000 Kiwi children living in such conditions.

Labour Social Development and Children spokesperson Jacinda Ardern and Tina Derecourt organise food parcels at Tauranga Foodbank.

With a number of Tauranga schools using the Government's KickStart breakfast programme, Jacinda says Labour fully supports the initiative but is wary it is a short term solution.

'Food in schools is a short term solution to a long term issue we need to resolve. We want to see New Zealand move away from a low wage economy.”

She believes the answer instead lies in giving parents the skills and means to support their families.

The Government is injecting $9.5million into the existing KickStart breakfast programme, which will provide children in decile one to four schools with daily breakfasts.

Instead of the single option programme, Labour wanted to consult with schools in the attempt to find out what options could be nominated towards a subsidised food option, says Jacinda.

'A lot of schools have catered for food in schools themselves. We fully support the food in schools programme but we wanted to work with schools on the issue.

'Breakfast is one of the cheapest meals of the day so schools may have wanted to look at other options.”

Statistics from the Children's Commissioner show 270,000 New Zealand children are living in poverty while children growing up without basic necessities has risen from 15 to 21 per cent.

When asked whether she believes Tauranga is suffering from considerable levels of poverty, Jacinda remained diplomatic.

'It's not isolated to one part of the country, it's everywhere. Some places it just happens to be a bit more hidden than others.”

Growing up in the Waikato township of Morrinsville, Jacinda opened the Labour's Tauranga office back in 2008 and is adamant she remains passionate about the city and its political concerns.

'Even though I live in the city, my test for any policy [from parliament] is will it work in areas like Hamilton, Tauranga and Morrinsville.

'It's a constant thought in my mind that we need to care for our community.”

Earlier this week, Jacinda accused Minister for Social Development and Employment and Youth Affairs Paula Bennett of playing the numbers game while families go hungry.

Jacinda says Paula's claims the number of people applying for hardship grants has fallen by 33 per cent in the last two years are nonsense, because many requests for help are simply not being recorded.

'When foodbanks are reporting an increase in demand of up to 70 per cent, and Wellington City Mission is pointing out that half of its clients have been turned away by Work and Income, her numbers just don't stack up.

'What's worse, it is Government process that's being used to turn people in need away, without them ever being recorded as having sought help.

'We simply don't know how many people have been turned away, but our frontline services are getting a pretty clear picture. That needs to change, and fast.”

Jacinda was recently voted the politician Tauranga residents would most like to have a beer with.

If you agree, join her for a drink at The Cornerstone Bar on The Strand at 4.45pm today.