Woah, the senate actually farted out a good idea for once.
Introduce sugar tax, ban food and drink ads for kids: Senate obesity report
A new Senate report on Canada's obesity crisis is calling for a tax on sugary drinks, a ban on food and drink advertising aimed at children and government subsidies for healthy food.
The report titled Obesity in Canada makes 21 recommendations in total for dealing with Canada's obesity crisis, including a call for the federal government to rewrite Canada's food guide without any input from the food and beverage industries.
But almost as soon as the Senate's prescription for a healthier Canada hit the internet there were objections to the notion of a sugar tax.
"The only thing a sugar tax will make thinner are Canadians' wallets," said Aaron Wudrick, the federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, in a release. "Good intentions do not always translate into good policy, and the record of these types of taxes in other jurisdiction leaves much to be desired."
The Canadian Beverage Association was also quick to reject the recommendation from the Senate saying that taxing drinks, without taxing the sugar in other foods, would not support the goal of a healthier public.
"This has been tried in other jurisdictions and it has failed. It didn't reduce obesity. It increased the price of groceries, and resulted in job losses in the food and beverage sector," said Jim Goetz, president of the Canadian Beverage Association, in a release.
Introduce sugar tax, ban food and drink ads for kids: Senate obesity report - Politics - CBC News
Introduce sugar tax, ban food and drink ads for kids: Senate obesity report
A new Senate report on Canada's obesity crisis is calling for a tax on sugary drinks, a ban on food and drink advertising aimed at children and government subsidies for healthy food.
The report titled Obesity in Canada makes 21 recommendations in total for dealing with Canada's obesity crisis, including a call for the federal government to rewrite Canada's food guide without any input from the food and beverage industries.
But almost as soon as the Senate's prescription for a healthier Canada hit the internet there were objections to the notion of a sugar tax.
"The only thing a sugar tax will make thinner are Canadians' wallets," said Aaron Wudrick, the federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, in a release. "Good intentions do not always translate into good policy, and the record of these types of taxes in other jurisdiction leaves much to be desired."
The Canadian Beverage Association was also quick to reject the recommendation from the Senate saying that taxing drinks, without taxing the sugar in other foods, would not support the goal of a healthier public.
"This has been tried in other jurisdictions and it has failed. It didn't reduce obesity. It increased the price of groceries, and resulted in job losses in the food and beverage sector," said Jim Goetz, president of the Canadian Beverage Association, in a release.
Introduce sugar tax, ban food and drink ads for kids: Senate obesity report - Politics - CBC News