Sugar tax will cut jobs, not kilos

23 NOVEMBER 2016: A TAX on sugar will cut jobs but it won't obesity - and it will hurt people on low incomes the most. The Nanny State today launched a report from left-wing think tank, the Grattan Institute, called: Taxing Sugary Drinks: Recovering the Community Cost of Obesity.I can give the farmers and mill workers, sugar terminal and refinery workers, as well as harvester operators and haulage drivers my absolute guarantee that I will never vote for a sugar tax of any kind. I can also assure them that the Liberal National Government also rejects a sugar tax. The Grattan Institute itself recognised a tax on sugary drinks was not a “silver bullet” solution to obesity and that only about 10 per cent of Australia’s obesity problem is caused by sugary drinks.There is already too much “Nanny State” trying to tell everyone how to live their lives. Do we really need government standing there at the checkout, choosing which products it wants us to buy? The issue of obesity is complex and won’t be solved with a simple tax on drinks. Genetics, medical conditions, levels of physical activity, alcohol consumption, portion sizes and sugar intake all influence obesity rates.The Liberal National Government is addressing the complex problem with a range of measures. Steps taken by the government include:

• Working with industry to improve nutritional value of food;
• Encouraging kids to be active via a $100million investment in Sporting Schools; and
• Providing tools and information to consumers to assist them make healthier choices.

Programs include the Health Star Rating System, the new Government Healthy Weight guide website, a new Healthy Food Partnership, the Sporting Schools initiative and a new physical activity campaign for girls and young women called Girls Make Your Move.