Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

Just to reiterate, Senator Allison, the act cannot instruct the states, territories and New Zealand. Only the ministerial council can do that. Again, that is a consultative process, not something that can be directed from this act. The Commonwealth’s position will depend on what the ministerial council decides. You are quite right that the United Kingdom have a traffic light system, but they are currently reviewing their labelling procedures as well. So, as you say, it is an issue primarily because of the issue of obesity, but this bill is not the place to enact those standards. I have just been advised that a progress report will come down from the ministerial council in October this year in relation to front-of-pack labelling.