Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

We have a four-month-old baby at home, and it is great. One of the things that I am learning—that we are learning—is that babies are fussy creatures. They have particular preferences from a very early age, and that extends to feeding.

We have not used formula, but I have spoken to a number of people who do. What is becoming apparent is that around the country there are many new parents who are having trouble getting the formula they need to feed their babies. We have seen pictures taken of stacks of tins of formula that were there in the supermarket one moment, but are taken out by one or two people in trolley loads the next. We are also hearing that it is not for personal use for people, but that they are taking it to ship off to other countries to sell at a higher mark-up.

It is tough enough being a new parent. A trip to the shops becomes a production in and of itself. You should not have to add to that the stress of not knowing whether the formula is going to be there or whether you are going to have to do research in advance to find out where you are going to have to travel to get the formula you need. In fact, at the moment, there are online forums where people are 'formula spotting' and letting everyone else know what supermarket they need to travel out to—often suburbs away—to get the particular kind of formula that their baby wants. It should not be like this. Of all the things that we talk about here in this place, we should make time to discuss ways to ensure that parents get the formula they need. I am pleased that the minister has taken some action and is starting to meet people about this, but do not let this go until we find a solution.

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