No such thing as a free lunch? Not if the Greens have their way with $11.6bn policy to feed every student in public schools

The Greens have announced a reheated policy to give every public school student a free lunch – at a cost of nearly $4bn a year.

Every Australian child attending a public school would have access to a free lunch each day under a reheated Greens policy that would cost the budget $11.6bn over three years.

Greens leader Adam Bandt will announce the policy in Brisbane on Tuesday – specifically in the seat of Griffith held by Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather.

Under the policy, every state and territory public primary and high school student would get a free lunch.

Policy costings, done by the Parliamentary Budget Office, show each meal would cost an average of $7.20 to produce.

Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt says the Greens would pay for their multibillion-dollar health and education policies by taxing corporations and billionaires. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Bandt said in a rich country like Australia no child should go hungry.

“The Greens will tax big corporations and billionaires so kids can get free lunch at school,” he said.

“If you’re worried about the cost of living, we can’t keep voting for the same two parties and expecting a different result.”

Long-term studies suggest that universal free school lunches lower social inequality, lift women’s participation in the workforce and help to prevent childhood obesity.

On the weekend, the Greens announced a policy to make university and TAFE courses free at a cost of $46.5bn to the federal budget over the next four years.

Originally published as No such thing as a free lunch? Not if the Greens have their way with $11.6bn policy to feed every student in public schools