Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition would like some facts. I will give him a fact. Our modelling and the modelling from Treasury show that our measure will reduce consumption by 43 million 375-mil bottles every year. If the Leader of the Opposition thinks that it is not a good thing for us to have 43 million fewer bottles being drunk—mostly by young people—every year, then he should stand up and say that. It means that the Leader of the Opposition, who is actually a former AMA president and who was a well-respected health professional, now stands totally alone, not just in his party but amongst the health community, in not recognising that this is an important health measure. He will stand condemned for that. This is going to have a positive impact on reducing consumption and, of course, with money that is raised from this measure, as we have already made clear, we will be able to contribute to the biggest commitment to prevention that a Commonwealth government has ever made.

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