Genter Julie AnneJULIE ANNE GENTER (Green): A few weeks ago I asked our Minister of Health whether or not he would investigate a sugary drinks tax because on that very day the World Health Organization had come out pushing for countries across the world to implement a sugary drinks tax to help fight the huge rise in chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes cardiovascular disease and chronic tooth decay which have all been spiking since there has been a huge rise in the consumption of sugary drinks. Unfortunately our Minister of Health was unwilling to investigate such an initiative despite the World Health Organization pushing for it despite the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor chairing a global commission on childhood obesity that recommended this very policy and despite 70 public health experts here in New Zealand having written him a letter saying that in fact there was much more evidence in favour of a sugary drinks tax and its impact on health benefits than there was for any of the initiatives in our Government's childhood obesity plan. What this reflects to me I think is the problem that we have with this National Government. When its ideology conflicts with the evidence it falls back to its ideology. Although I know its members mean well and I am sure that the Minister of Health does want to ensure that there is a reduction in chronic diseases the reality is that the Government is not taking any practical evidence-based steps to ensure that we are protecting the health of our children and our people for the long term. That is what the Green Party is here to champion. We want a healthier happier New Zealand and we are going to use proper evidence-based policy to deliver it. The Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor has advocated for this very policy but it is not only that. Just last week there was a new study published. I think it is going to make it very very difficult for our Minister of Health to continue saying that there is no clear evidence that a sugary drinks tax will reduce obesity or chronic diseases related to obesity because in the latest peer-reviewed journal we have got this Projected Impact of Mexico's Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Policy on Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease: A Modeling Study which demonstrates that over time the reduction in consumption of sugary drinks is predicted to significantly reduce type 2 diabetes strokes myocardial infarctions cardiovascular disease and other related costs and that the benefits of this policy overall in terms of avoided health costs are over US$1 billion. My question and my challenge to this National Government is: if you really believe in protecting the health of our children if you really believe in reducing the cost to the health system and if you really believe in governing for the long term then follow the evidence and the recommendations of the experts on the World Health Organization and here in New Zealand—the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor—and start investigating policies that will actually make a difference to reducing the consumption of harmful sugar-sweetened beverages. If the Government is unwilling to do this I think the only conclusion that New Zealanders can reasonably come to is that it is on the side of the big food and sugary drinks companies that stand to gain which are using lots of money to confuse the public about this issue because they want to continue selling as many sugary drinks as possible no matter how sick it makes our kids. That is their goal. Just like the tobacco industry before them—and I note that there are two former tobacco lobbyists on the Government's side here in the House—and the fossil fuel industry now they are using their power and money to fight positive public policy that would benefit all people in this country. That is what the sugary drinks industry is doing—and does it not make sense? Does it not make sense that they would not want to see policy that would actually result in a reduction of consumption? Of course if we actually believe in economically rational policy it makes perfect sense that a tax on sugary drinks would work. Of course it is going to reduce consumption and not only that it is probably the very best incentive we can give to that industry to develop alternatives that are healthier and do not make people sick. That is already what is happening in the UK where Tesco is deciding to reduce the sugar content in its own drinks line as a result of the tax that was implemented in the United Kingdom. The revenue for such a tax can be used to fund health services and health promotion and so it makes sense. Thank you.