Spring election no excuse for school lunch delay, say Liberals

The P.E.I. Liberals want to know what the holdup is in implementing a school lunch pilot project they had prepared for nine schools before they lost the provincial election in the spring.

The aim of the program was to provide more local, healthy food options in Island schools.

The Liberals had planned to launch the pilot this fall. In the legislature on June 21, Education Minister Brad Trivers said given the timing of the election, there were concerns that the programs could not be put together for September. If the province didn't sign with the current providers, he said, there was a risk there would be no food at the schools at all.

Liberal education critic Robert Mitchell said there is work in place for the government to build on, and the spring election excuse is not valid.

"It's disappointing for us as a third party, as a former governing party, that the now government decided to put it on the shelf," said Mitchell.

"This is not a new issue. It's been going on for a number of years. There would have been considerable amount of framework to build on."

In an email to CBC News, the government said it remains firmly committed to the program.

It said it is exploring the organizational structure the program would need, and implementing the program as quickly as possible.

It promised an update in the coming weeks.

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