Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

I would not accept that that is an abuse of the system. I do not know the instance that Senator Stephens refers to, so it is certainly not appropriate for me to comment further. However, I do make the point that, under the national system of advertising, advertisers are expected to comply with the advertisers code of ethics and the code of advertising for children. They have actually been adopted by the Australian Association of National Advertisers. The codes contain a range of provisions relating to taste and decency and are intended to reflect community values and expectations.

We are reviewing this particular matter, as I said in my primary answer. Complaints about any advertising, of course, can be made and obviously they have to be fair complaints. The processes by which anyone is accused of not complying with these codes have to be fair processes, Senator Stephens. Beyond that, because I am not aware of the circumstances, I do not believe it is appropriate to comment. The framework is there and the framework is working appropriately.