Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will just thank the member for Mackellar for raising this extremely important matter of public importance. We know that there are issues surrounding gambling, fast food and alcohol use. But, to start, today we heard from the Minister for Health and Aged Care about our government continuing our world-leading tobacco control, especially with regard to vaping, and I want to thank the minister for health and Assistant Minister McBride for all the work that they're doing in that space. I also want to thank them for continuing our commitment to improving Medicare and strengthening Medicare. In particular, I thank them for their work in medication affordability and access.

We know that vaping and cigarette use has seen increased morbidity, increase mortality and significant suffering throughout our communities—in particular, in our clinical environments. I know, as I continue to work in the emergency department at the moment, we see people coming in who are breathless while lying on the bed. It's looks like they've just run a marathon. They're lying on the bed. Their oxygen saturations are declining. Sometimes, in some cases, you can't even give them oxygen. There's unimaginable suffering that comes from not just vaping but tobacco as well, and we need to ensure that we're continuing our work there, which we on this side of the House absolutely are.

But our work doesn't stop with just tobacco and vaping controls. I will just go into a bit more detail, as the member for Macarthur did, with regard to pathological gambling, fast food and obesity, and problem alcohol use or alcohol dependence. In particular, pathological gambling is very common in my community, and it's particularly common amongst young people. The number of people with gambling problems is increasing and, therefore, the societal impacts of gambling are increasing. That relates to issues around relationships, whether that be the professional relationships at work or the relationships in the home. With regard to housing, the member of Macarthur brought up a close colleague who went bankrupt as a result of gambling. That also is common, and it's actually one of the reasons that people will present to the emergency department. If people are unable to afford their rent, are unable to afford their mortgage repayments and have nowhere to live, and if shelters are full, they're going to go to the emergency department, where the lights are always on. With pathological gambling, there are also issues surrounding employment and crime.

With regard to fast food and increased fast food consumption, particularly amongst young kids, we're seeing increases in obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. That's why I'm very proud to be part of that parliamentary committee that has been established to look at obesity, type 2 diabetes and diabetes in general. We know for a fact that if we establish healthy eating patterns, particularly amongst children, that's linked to decreases in chronic diseases—things like obesity, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and the like. If they're not eating properly to begin with, there are also the adverse effects on nutrition for children as they grow, and even diet related cancers later in life.

Then there are those alcohol related issues that many in this chamber will know. I'm not going to go through the big list. There are things that are quite important with regard to alcohol dependence. We can look at liver disease and we can look at the increased incidence and prevalence of cancer amongst people who consume alcohol—in particular, the increase in consistent evidence of breast cancer with low and high levels of alcohol consumption compared to people who abstain or don't drink.

These are issues that are in society. They're issues that are in my home electorate on the coast. It's important that this MPI is being brought to the House today by the member for Mackellar. I particularly want to focus on the fact that our government is committed to protecting children online and offline with regard to these issues, and to advertising that respects community standards. These issues are the subject of recent and current reviews, and we will continue to work in this area, particularly with regard to advertising, alcohol use and tobacco controls. Thank you.

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