Greens upset Public Health Bill on backburner

Green Party health spokeswoman Sue Kedgley is disappointed the Public Health Bill will not be passed before the election and says the Government bowed to pressure.

The bill was mainly a re-write to update public health laws, but contained controversial changes to tackle non-communicable diseases like obesity. Measures in the bill included the ability to regulate the advertising of unhealthy foods.

Parliament is in urgency at the moment to pass legislation before the election campaign.

Ms Kedgley, in the New Zealand Herald today, accused the Government of caving into food industry and advertising lobby pressure.

Obesity Action Coalition executive director Leigh Sturgiss said the bill was an opportunity to save lives.

Health Minister David Cunliffe said Labour had not given in to pressure but the bill, which was reported back in June, was large and would have taken too long to pass.

"It is easier to pass a bunch of smaller bills than it is a very small number of very large bills," he said.

National opposed the non-communicable disease measures in the bill.

The Immigration Bill, Protected Disclosures Amendment Bill, Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Bill and Corrections Amendment Bill (No 2) were also on the backburner.