Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Protecting Children from Junk Food Advertising (Broadcasting Amendment) Bill 2008. I noted Senator Barnett’s comments earlier in the debate. I know he is very genuine about health issues, but he is quite wrong when he refers to what the federal Labor government is doing about health issues. I hope to speak at some length on all of the things that this government is doing in a very positive way for the issue of health and, in particular, the issue that this bill seeks to direct its attention to, which is childhood obesity. The bill itself is called the Protecting Children from Junk Food Advertising (Broadcasting Amendment) Bill 2008, and it seeks to restrict the times that so-called fast-food companies can advertise their products. In particular, the bill seeks to impose a very significant restriction between the hours of 6 am and 9.30 pm. I rise to oppose the bill—not the sentiments behind the bill because I do not think anybody disagrees with those. All of the previous speakers I had the opportunity to listen to made it clear that they did not dispute the objectives behind the bill. But the bill has a number of very fundamental weaknesses, and it is for that reason that the government is not supporting this legislation.

I think one important threshold issue that arose as a result of the deliberations of the committee that looked at the bill was the very issue of the term ‘junk food’, because the bill obviously turns very crucially on that definition. I would refer this chamber to what the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs had to say on that issue at paragraph 1.54 of the committee’s report:

Industry submissions and witnesses questioned the use of the term ‘junk food’ in the title of the Bill, noting that there was no clear definition of which foods and beverages could be classified as ‘junk food’. They highlighted that all food and beverages sold in Australia are regulated by Food Standards Australia New Zealand as safe to consume and can be part of a balanced diet for children and adults.

So right at the outset there is the fundamental question of the definition of junk food. As I said, I do not think there is anybody in the chamber who would not want to see a better outcome in children’s health, but the government does not believe that Senator Brown’s bill is the way to go at this time.

I think there are a number of points that need to be made about the bill. While the objectives of the bill are admirable, I would like to refer to some of the ways in which the government is dealing with this issue. If we want to refer to one particular area in which the government is seeking to address the obesity issue in Australian children which a number of speakers have referred to, then we can refer to programs being implemented, like the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program. The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program was started in Victoria in 2001 and was a partnership between the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation and the state government of Victoria, together with philanthropists and corporate donors. It involves children in grades 3 to 6 learning how to grow their own fruit and vegetables together. They then learn how to prepare tasty and nutritious meals with the produce in a purpose-built kitchen.