Hague Kevin: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHague Kevin: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 20 October 2015. Volume:709;Page:7342. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]8.KEVIN HAGUE (Green) to the Minister of Health: Is he confident that the interventions announced yesterday will be effective against the key environmental drivers of obesity given that one-third of New Zealand children are overweight?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health): Yes. I think that being virtually the only country with a national obesity target and a comprehensive evidence-based life course package for children with interventions across health education sport and food promotion incorporating both targeted initiatives and broad-based population strategies will be effective.Kevin Hague: Does he agree with Sir Peter Gluckman who says “children are the unwitting actors who have become obese as a result of entrapment by contextual factors operating within society”; if he does why is his policy package aimed more at individuals than these contextual factors?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: I speak with Peter Gluckman often and I respect his advice and he has had a lot of input into this package. Actually it is not just about individuals here; it is about broad-based population strategies as well. There are 22 initiatives in here 11 of which are new. It is a comprehensive package. I would really welcome your support in going out and helping us to promote this package because you actually have a contribution to make and the member knows that there are a lot of good elements in this package including the health target which is a signal achievement.Kevin Hague: Why is the Minister not considering a fizzy-drinks tax when the Prime Minister’s own Chief Science Advisor Sir Peter Gluckman has strongly recommended one?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: He has not actually strongly recommended one; he says that on balance he recommends one but there is not any evidence that a tax on sugary drinks would decrease obesity. The University of Waikato is looking at the evidence. It will have definitive evidence in 2017. I know the member would love to tax all sorts of things but actually he needs to consider what the price elasticity of demand would be and how much he would want to put it up to. All I know is that if we have a Labour-Greens Government the price of everything is going to go up—it will not be just soft drinks.Kevin Hague: When a recent tax on fizzy drinks in Mexico has already decreased consumption by 12 percent in just 1 year why is the Government not even considering a fizzy-drinks tax here?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: We did consider it but there was no definitive evidence. If you look at Mexico they have done all sorts of things there which means that there may be a correlation but there is no direct causation. They have had $30 billion invested in drinking water. They have had major problems with the economy. In short there is no direct evidence that a soft-drinks tax will have an impact on obesity. If he can show me the evidence I will be happy to see it but no one else has been able to.Kevin Hague: Will the Minister continue to be persuaded by the Food and Grocery Council when it comes to setting policy to improve the health of New Zealand’s children; if so will the Government’s tobacco control measures now be based on advice from the tobacco industry?Mr SPEAKER: Either of those two supplementary questions the Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman.Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Yeah no.