Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

I move amendment (2) on sheet 5272:

(2)    Schedule 1, item 74, page 37 (line 5), at the end of section 42, add:

          ; or (iii)    involves the addition of vitamins or minerals to food.

Amendment (4) brings back the public consultation requirement into any proposal that relates to variations to high-level health claims. The changes to the health claims process remove public consultation altogether, which we think is a serious omission. Because health claims may have a significant impact on public health and safety as well as on consumer information, they should be subject to the full assessment and consultation process. Removing all public consultation in favour of expert committees excludes many key stakeholders from participating in consultation, and it also places the interests of the food industry above the interests of consumers that this legislation is charged to protect. This is inconsistent with the three primary objectives of the act, which relate to the protection of public health and safety, the provision of consumer information and the prevention of misleading and deceptive conduct. I would appreciate it if the parliamentary secretary could advise us as to what led to the public consultation requirement being taken out in the first instance and, if this amendment is not supported by the government, why that is the case.