Heather Laird, Manurewa MP Louisa Wall and Haydn Treanor

Manurewa MP Louisa Wall has been a champion of Essilor’s Vision Foundation in New Zealand ever since the Foundation found 30% of the kids in her region’s schools couldn’t see properly and didn’t even know about it. Since then she’s worked tirelessly to support the Foundation’s work and champion the issues of a lack of screening and financial support to help Kiwi kids who fall by the wayside, simply because they can’t see well enough to learn.

At the Auckland Crizal Sapphire and Varilux X launch, Wall took the opportunity to personally thank all the independent optometrists who had volunteered their time and expertise to help the Foundation screen kids across the country.

“I feel very blessed to be part of the Essilor Vision Foundation and the independent optometry family. You’re making a huge difference.”

Despite Winston Peters’ pre-election promise to provide free eye tests to the country’s pensioners, and chatter among parliamentarians that optometry is finally being considered for primary health funding, Wall, who also chairs the Health Select Committee, said she’s not hopeful there will be any news for the sector in the short-term. But she firmly believes there should be more support for screening; for parents to take their children to optometrists; and for all of the country to get better eye care and access to spectacles if they need it, she said.