Collaboration, consultation and civility: what Verity Firth learnt about contending with commercial lobbying when trying to deliver public health policy

Governments seeking to implement public health policy often face intense lobbying from industries vying to protect commercial interests. Dr Becky Freeman from the journal of Public Health Research & Practice spoke to Verity Firth, former deputy lord mayor of Sydney and NSW Labor minister (2007–2011), about how governments can strike the right balance in delivering better health and social outcomes, and how public health advocates can ensure their voices are heard.

In your experience in Australian local and state government, to what extent have you seen the influence of commercial interests play a role in shaping health and social policy? How much did health and social policy rate as a concern for political decision-makers?

“Locally and at state level there were differences.