Sophie Scamps (Mackellar, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week, almost two years after it was completed, the Australian government finally responded to The state of diabetes mellitus in Australia in 2024 report. The response falls far short of what Australians need.

The report was the outcome of a substantial parliamentary inquiry informed by extensive evidence from clinicians, researchers, public health experts and patient groups, as well as many public submissions and multiple hearings. I was very proud to be a part of the health committee conducting the inquiry. It examined the rapid rise of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Australia, including amongst our young people. Importantly, the report set out a series of practical, evidence-based recommendations particularly focused on prevention and early intervention. The government's response was to adopt none of them. Instead, there is support in principle for some recommendations, and others are simply noted.

The state of diabetes report was clear: if we don't invest properly in prevention, the problem will keep getting worse, and we're already seeing that play out. Obesity has now overtaken tobacco as the leading cause of preventable disease burden in Australia. Around 6.5 million people are living with obesity, and projections for children are heading in the wrong direction. Already, one in four children across Australia is above the healthy weight range, and in regional and rural areas it's even more. So I want to focus specifically on two of the recommendations in that report that are based on prevention and are evidence based.

First, the inquiry recommended that the government regulate the marketing of unhealthy food to children. A government-funded feasibility study released just this month looked at this exact issue and found very strong support for time-based restrictions of unhealthy food advertising on broadcast media from morning to night and for it to end altogether online and on digital platforms. It also found strong support for restricting things like on-pack marketing aimed at children and junk food sponsorship of sporting and community events.

Importantly, it confirmed that self-regulation is simply not working. Kids are exposed to a constant stream of advertising across TV, radio, social media and gaming. It's sophisticated, it's targeted and it's backed by large companies with vested interests. I've already put forward a bill, the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Healthy Kids Advertising) Bill 2023, that would regulate the marketing of unhealthy foods to children on all these platforms, just as was recommended by the inquiry. It's a practical way to reduce that constant exposure and it's supported by a broad coalition of major health organisations. It's also supported by the 66 per cent of Australians who want to see an end to junk food advertising during children's hours of TV.

The second area I want to talk about is sugary drinks. Again, the inquiry recommendation was clear: that the government implement a graduated levy on sugar-sweetened beverages based on sugar content. Sugary drinks are the largest source of added sugar in the Australian diet—about a quarter of total intake—and they are clearly linked to diabetes and other chronic conditions. A graduated levy on sugary drinks would encourage companies to reduce sugar in their products, and where that doesn't happen, the revenue can be used to support healthier choices such as making fresh food more affordable or funding prevention programs.

More than 35 health organisations across Australia back a levy on sugary drinks. This is already in action in over 100 countries across the world. The UK did it in 2018, and when they did, the sugar in affected drinks fell by nearly 45 per cent over four years.

Stepping back, all our national health strategies already recognise that prevention is where we should be focusing. There's even a clear target—that five per cent of the health budget go to prevention by 2030. Right now we're at about two per cent—far below comparable countries like the UK and Canada.

Tomorrow, I'll be holding a roundtable discussion with health experts to progress these two measures: the regulation of unhealthy food marketing to children, and introducing a levy on sugary drinks. There's a clear path forward for the government to make a real difference to the health of Australians for generations to come. (Time expired)