Katene’s GST off healthy food bill gets pulled

Maori Party MP Rahui Katene is absolutely stoked that her bill to remove GST on healthy food has been pulled from the ballot today. And she has a word of advice for those who say such an initiative would be too difficult to implement.

“Where there’s a will there’s a way and I don’t believe for one minute that implementing this law would be too difficult,” said Mrs Katene – the sponsor of the Goods and Services Tax (Exemption of Healthy Food) Amendment Bill.

“This Government is bringing many of our policies into line with Australia, where there is no GST equivalent on healthy food, from incomes to tax and even what side of the road we drive on.

“This bill is about getting families ahead and helping them to eat healthy,” she said.

Increases for the staples of a nutritious diet including fruit, vegetables and milk, have been particularly high so it is increasingly important that healthy food be made affordable, Mrs Katene said.

The bill defines healthy food as:

• Fruit and vegetables (including fresh, frozen, canned and dried):

• Breads and cereals (including all bread, grains, rice and pasta):

• Milk and milk products (including cheese, yoghurt and plain milk, but excluding ice cream, cream products, condensed and flavoured milk):

• Lean meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds and legumes

Families who spend $100 a week on healthy food would save $12.50 or $15 a week if the Government increases the GST rate to 15 per cent.

ENDS

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