Senator Richard Di Natale’s response

Hello All,

I’m proud to be able to tell you that today the Greens have announced a new tax on sugary sweetened beverages to help tackle Australia’s obesity epidemic.

We know that the community and health experts alike have serious concerns with our nation’s consumption of sugar, particular highly sweetened drinks.
The reality is that we have a major health crisis on our hands, with over a quarter of Australian adults and children overweight or obese.

30% of the added sugar kids consume comes from sugary sweetened drinks, contributing to weight gain and a risk of diabetes.

Sugary sweetened beverages are a major contributor to increasing rates of childhood obesity and if this trend continues our children may be the first generation to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

The Greens’ plan will introduce a 20 percent tax on sugary sweetened drinks which the evidence shows will reduce uptake by at least twelve percent, providing long term benefits by reducing chronic disease and achieving better health outcomes.

Every cent of the expected $500 million per year raised by the tax on sugary sweetened drinks will be reinvested back into positive health initiatives for Australians. Over four years $2 billion could be raised by ensuring that sugary sweetened drink manufacturers contribute to the harms their product causes.

This tax is part of a broader prevention strategy for obesity, including clear food labelling; restricting junk food advertising to children; and encouraging physical activity through active transport.

You can find the full details about our policy on at http:///greens.org.au/sugar-tax

Thanks for your commitment and interest in Australia’s health.

Richard Di Natale
Leader of the Australian Greens