Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:627;Page:21966] 
9.  
SUE KEDGLEY (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: Does she agree that a survey which shows that 84 percent of people believe that unhealthy food and drink should not be sold in schools gives politicians “the mandate needed to regulate the environment in order to protect children from influences contributing to the obesity epidemic”; if so what is she doing as Minister of Health to get unhealthy food and drink out of schools? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Acting Minister of Health) 
: 
 The information from the survey is interesting but one telephone survey of 489 people does not provide a mandate for any Government to bring in heavy-handed regulations at this point. This Government is working across sectors to make healthy food choices easier. For example the Ministry of Education Sport and Recreation New Zealand and the Ministry of Health are working together to improve children’s nutrition and physical activity within schools. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Why when the Minister’s own ministry found poor diet to be the No. 1 cause of death by risk factor—more so than alcohol tobacco and road accidents combined— will her Government not take a simple step to improve the health of New Zealand children by getting unhealthy food and drink out of our schools? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: We understand and accept that there are growing problems around the eating habits of children obesity and diabetes but we are not prepared to make heavy-handed regulations. I cannot understand that party; on the one hand it wants to decriminalise marijuana and on the other hand it wants to criminalise things like McDonald’s fish and chips and corned beef. 
Lesley Soper 
: What other initiatives are being taken to promote healthy eating and healthy action in schools and in the wider community? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: Healthy Eating - Healthy Action was launched by the Minister of Health last year. It is an integrated plan to address nutrition physical activity and obesity. “HEHA” as it is commonly known includes a number of initiatives to improve children’s nutrition and physical activity. Many district health boards and local schools have programmes under way to encourage healthy food choices and a healthier school environment. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Is the Minister aware of a Green Party survey of 50 schools conducted earlier this year which found that pies chippies doughnuts fizzy drinks and sausage rolls are standard school lunch fare and that many of the schools did not sell fruit or even sandwiches; and why does she allow those sorts of unhealthy foods to be sold in schools in clear breach of her own Healthy Eating - Healthy Action strategy which she was just touting? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: We are not in the position where we can tell schools what they should or should not sell in their tuck-shops. One thing I would say though is that if the National Party and its “Tax Cuts—Education Cuts” policy ever comes to bear schools will be forced to sell high-return high-sugar products in their tuck-shops. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Gerry Brownlee raises a point of order. He is quite right. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Thank you. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: These unnecessary asides only waste the time of the House so would the Minister please just address the question. 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: We are taking a whole-of-Government approach. We are encouraging schools wherever possible to sell healthy food at their tuck-shops. My concern is that if schools are put under severe financial pressure they will be forced to run cake stalls and sell unhealthy food to many of their own children. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Why was the Government prepared last year to make what the Minister now calls “heavy-handed” regulatory changes that require—tell—all schools that they must give priority to physical education but is not prepared to make simple regulatory changes to require all schools to sell only healthy food and drink; could it be that her Government is afraid to confront corporations that push junk food and drink into our cash-strapped schools on a daily basis? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: The problems of obesity and diabetes are caused by both food and exercise—too much of one and not enough of the other. We are encouraging schools to give priority to exercise and to give priority to healthy food. That is the Healthy Eating - Healthy Action policy and we are committed to it. 
Sue Kedgley 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. My question related specifically to why the Government would introduce regulatory change for physical education but not introduce regulatory change for food. The question was very simple and I would appreciate it if the Minister could address it. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The Minister did address the question. Is there a supplementary question? 
Sue Kedgley 
: Is the Minister aware of research linking the consumption of high-sugar drinks to obesity and type 2 diabetes; and why is her Government prepared to spend literally thousands of dollars every year buying new dialysis machines for diabetics with kidney failure but not prepared to tackle an underlying cause of this epidemic which is the unhealthy food and drink that our children are consuming? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: I do not accept that food alone is the cause of the problems. We committed $40 million to the Cancer Control Strategy which encourages action in a number of areas including healthy food good exercise and improved environmental situations. I am very proud of our record in this area and that member should applaud our efforts also. 
Sue Kedgley 
: I seek leave to table the results of a survey by Fight the Obesity Epidemic which found that 84 percent of New Zealanders agree that unhealthy food and drinks should not be sold in schools. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.