Minister Evades Questions on Tobacco Taxes

"Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa appears to be neglecting her basic ministerial duties by not answering written questions”, says ACT Leader David Seymour.

"The Minister hasn’t answered a single written question since she became a Minister, including one asked on 27 November 2017, almost three months ago.

“Parliamentary questions are an essential mechanism by which the Government can be held accountable.

Standing order 382(4) requires that written questions are answered in six working days.

“I have asked the Minister a number of questions concerning tobacco taxes. This is an important issue given the impact tobacco taxes have on low-income households and the number of dairy robberies targeting tobacco we’ve seen in the past 12 months.

"This Government has pledged to be the most open and transparent government New Zealand has ever had. This claim is hard to take seriously when Ministers are not fulfilling the most basic of duties”, says Mr Seymour.

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