Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:624;Page:18967] 
9.  
SUE KEDGLEY (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: Does she agree that district health boards which accept sponsorship for mobile dental clinics from Ronald McDonald House charities and allow the McDonald’s clown to be painted across the dental vans are effectively endorsing McDonald’s marketing and advertising plans? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Health) 
: 
 No no more than district health boards accepting Ronald McDonald House charities funding for houses for children who are receiving cancer treatment endorses McDonald’s marketing and advertising plan—these houses have cared for 2500 families in New Zealand in three cities over the past 16 years—and no more than the trust donation of half the building costs for the children’s liver transplant unit at Starship Children’s Hospital endorses McDonald’s marketing and advertising plan. I have not heard the member complain about either of these activities. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Does she agree with the Obesity Action Coalition that diet is a very important contributor to dental health or ill health and that much of the food and drink sold at McDonald’s is high in sugar and rots kids’ teeth and given that is not accepting McDonald’s sponsorship of dental clinics a little bit like accepting Benson and Hedges sponsorship for lung cancer treatment; if not why not? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: No. This is sponsorship from the trust. And yes I agree with the Obesity Action Coalition that diet is an important issue. But diets are like having everything in moderation. If one were to eat McDonald’s hamburgers every day then we would all be worried. However I would be worried about anyone eating corned beef and peas every day. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I think that was a direct attack on the Leader of the Opposition and probably it should be withdrawn. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That was not a point of order. 
Judy Turner 
: Does the Minister agree that of greater concern than what is painted on mobile dental clinics is the fact that large numbers of New Zealand children are currently not receiving the recommended number of dental check-ups and that large numbers are not able to access dentists with district health board contracts for more specialised treatment; if she does agree what does she plan to do about it? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I agree entirely with the member. The member probably knows that one of the reasons we are unable to provide the contract is that in the 1990s all dental therapy training schools were closed. 
Government Members 
: What! 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: All of them were closed. How can dental treatment be provided if none of the workforce is trained? In 2001 and 2002 this Government reopened dental therapy training. We are now getting some graduates. [ 
Interruption 
] Listen to members opposite braying about it—they are responsible. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Is dental care a core health service; if so why is dental care so underfunded and why are district health boards so cash-strapped that they are having to turn to fast-food companies like McDonald’s to fund a core health service? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Yes it is a core health service and into which we are putting considerable money energy and commitment. This is a decision by the Northland District Health Board which has formed a partnership with the trust—one it believes is beneficial for people of the far north most of whom are rural people. According to the child nutrition study very few rural children eat a lot of McDonald’s hamburgers. 
Sue Kedgley 
: If she takes the view that there is nothing wrong with allowing a fast-food company to fund a core health service where would she draw the line? For instance if McDonald’s were to offer a sponsorship of $1 billion for the Ministry of Health and for various other core health services would she consider rebranding the Ministry of Health with the McDonald’s logo or perhaps with Ronald McDonald the clown; if not why not? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: As usual the member confuses issues. It is the trust that is funding this. I am sure the member has seen other companies and trusts fund all sorts of things in New Zealand from Sky City to pub charities food producers and big business. Usually we support them in terms of their having joint projects with us. The member I am afraid is inclined to criticise any good initiative. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Was the Minister suggesting that the Ronald McDonald trust is not an offshoot of McDonald’s? Could she please clarify that. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Is the member asking another supplementary question? 
Sue Kedgley 
: No. I have one but that is not it. That was a point of information. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: There is no point of information. It was not a point of order; it was another question. It is the member’s choice. Does she want to ask a supplementary question? 
Sue Kedgley 
: I would like to ask a supplementary question that is different. If the Minister really is committed to dental health as she claims why is she not requiring district health boards like the Northland District Health Board where there are such problems with dental cavities to take incredibly simple steps that would vastly improve dental hygiene such as requiring it to remove high-sugar drinks from schools in the Northland District Health Board area and introduce water-only policies? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I am pleased to tell the member that the Ministry of Health and schools are working together in terms of reducing the content of high-sugar drinks. But there is one other simple measure that could help the people of Northland—that is to fluoridate the water supply. Unfortunately that member opposes it. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Why having regard to the last series of questions and questions typical of that does the Minister get so vehement in her answers when she knows full well that the Greens have promised to support Labour after the next election and that their words are not worth the air they pass on? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I feel very strongly in my answers because the member who asks these questions is so often wrong.