Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Sheldon, I'm sure you'd agree that Christmas is the most wonderful time of year. For one thing, the Senate isn't sitting, and that's a good thing for all of us! But, more than that, it's a time to get together with friends and family, spend time relaxing in the sun and to eat, drink and be merry—but not too much of course!

It can also be a tough time for Australians struggling with cost-of-living pressures. Presents for the kids, fuel to get to the other side of town to visit your family, fresh seafood as well as drinks—the cost of Christmas can really add up, so anything that can be done to give families a hand during this time is obviously beneficial, and those with the most to give should be the first to help.

That's why today I've called on the big supermarket chains to freeze the price of Christmas hams. The traditional ham—