Roy Heather: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Roy Heather: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:609;Page:6637] 
7.  
HEATHER ROY (ACT NZ) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: Will she rule out proposing a “differential food tax”; if not why not? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Health) 
: 
 Yes. There is not even a “fat” chance that that will happen. 
Heather Roy 
: Why is the public health directorate working on a tax that the Government has no intention of introducing or is that just another example of how under this Minister precious health dollars are being wasted? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: A public health discussion document was released in October 2002 to look at new legislation for public health. Submissions were called for in thatdocument. A number of submissions said we ought to impose a “fat tax”. The Ministry of Health is providing advice on those submissions. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Can the Minister explain the difference in the Government’s approach to proposals by officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for a flatulence tax—which have been heartily endorsed by the Ministers concerned—and the proposals by officials for a “fat tax”? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: No I cannot explain why there is a difference other than to say that the Ministry of Health and the Minister have no interest in a “fatulence” tax. 
Sue Kedgley 
: As part of her Government’s strategy to reduce the amount of high-fat high-sugar food that children eat will the Government be developing a healthy eating policy for schools that asks them not to sell promote or sponsor the high-fat and high-sugar foods that undermine our national nutritional goals; if not why not? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Yes that work is well under way. The member I know is aware that health-promoting schools in New Zealand have already undertaken a lot of work to ensure that the food that tuck-shops sell and the food brought in children’s lunches is healthy food. That work is also backed up by the Healthy Eating – Healthy Action plan that was released only a few months ago. 
Judy Turner 
: Has the Minister considered funding parent education as a positive strategy for addressing child obesity issues? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: A number of parenting classes are funded—particularly by organisations like Plunket. Schools also carry out classes for parents in healthy eating.I do not have specific funding for such a programme but a number of agencies already provide it. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Why is it now OK to buy sex but not McDonald’s? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is not the Minister’s responsibility. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I have never made any claims on that matter at all. 
Heather Roy 
: On what date did she learn that her officials were working on proposals for a differential food tax—as she confirmed in a written parliamentary question—and has she definitely put a stop to it? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The Ministry of Health is not working on a Government proposal for a “fat tax” and the member should be very well aware of that. I have been aware for some time that the ministry has been working on the submissions on the public health discussion document since those submissions were first received.