Would you please advise with a simple yes or no – if you are elected, would you support pressuring the coalition Government to bring forward, and vote for, the Member’s Bill introduced by NZ First, which seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 so that decision making for fluoridation can be returned to the hands of each local council?
Tom Spooner
I think that it should be a personal matter. I don’t believe with the degree of contention around the subject that it should even be decided at the council level. Those who choose may use fluoride tablets if they wish.
John Weyers
Thank you for your email and for raising this important issue. This is not a simple yes/no.
I absolutely support any legislation that returns decision-making for our community back to the community. Decisions on local matters like water fluoridation should sit with elected councils who are accountable to their residents.
However, having reviewed the Bill, I note it also proposes a binding referendum. While I support councils having the ability to consult with their communities, binding referenda can be extremely expensive, potentially running into hundreds of thousands of dollars, and I do not believe those costs should be forced onto local councils or ratepayers.
It should be up to local councils to decide on how they consult with their communities on this.
So in short:
Yes — I support returning decision-making on fluoridation to local councils.
No — I do not support legislation that forces councils to hold costly binding referendums to do so.