Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

although I do confess that that might have been hard because there was not a committee process. We did not have any hearings. There was no opportunity for these issues to be raised in a serious sense. I think that is a very fair interjection which I will happily take.

There are a number of issues that I think the ACMA report will help us with in the consideration of this important matter. I think there is some recent evidence. A blanket ban in Norway and Sweden tends to suggest that this is not the entire answer. These are issues that I think we should debate and discuss. In Norway and Sweden I understand that the childhood obesity issue has continued to grow despite the fact that there has been a ban in place for some time. So the correlation is not necessarily as strong as is suggested in these jurisdictions. These are the issues that I think we need to have out there fully. I would welcome a Senate inquiry if we could convince the government that it was worth while to look into these matters. I would hope that we could perhaps convince the government between us that it is worth while going down that path.

I also have concerns that, while the growing evidence of childhood obesity shows that there is a growing problem, the number of eyeballs watching TV is actually decreasing substantially. So, again, issues around whether or not there is a direct correlation come into play. If fewer and fewer children are watching television and are going to the net, for instance, then you have an issue of whether this is the best way to address this. Should the net be included? These are the sorts of issues that I think need to be teased out as part of a more open process than just standing up today and moving this amendment.

I do have some concerns about an approach that says, ‘Look, it’s too hard to define, therefore the easiest way is to say no to everything.’ I think that a little bit more work, developed through this committee process that we could perhaps encourage the government to join us in, would be a wiser way to go than just to simply take the approach that you have.

Whilst Labor is very sympathetic to many of the issues and objectives that you have raised, I think it is a little premature to move this amendment at this point. I am particularly interested in the ACMA report. I am hoping that we will be hearing the exact date of arrival and release of that report from the minister. On that basis, Labor will not be supporting the amendment, but perhaps we could work together to convince the government to allow a Senate committee to do a proper examination of this in conjunction with the ACMA report. I indicate that we will not be supporting the amendment.