Andrew Murray (WA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

I am sorry to extend the debate, Mr Temporary Chairman, but I do have to put on record, unfortunately, that Senator Bob Brown is misrepresenting the Democrats’ position. The Democrats’ private senator’s bill on junk food is a short one. It is a simple one. Schedule 1 amends the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 and states:

1 After subsection 122(2)

Insert:

(2A) A standard under paragraph 112(2)(a) must include standards for the control of food or beverage advertising, including:

(a)  advertisements for food or for a beverage must not be broadcast during a C period; and

(b)  no advertisement or sponsorship announcement broadcast during a C period must identify or refer to a company, person or organisation whose principal activity is the manufacture, distribution or sale of food or of a beverage—this requirement is in addition to the requirements of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice; and

(c)  no advertisement for food or for a beverage may be broadcast during a C program or P program that is broadcast outside a C period or P period, or in a break immediately before or after any C program or P program; and

(d)  no advertisement or sponsorship announcement broadcast during a C program or P program that is broadcast outside a C period or P period, or in a break immediately before or after such a C program or P program, must identify or refer to a company, person or organisation whose principal activity is the manufacture, distribution or sale of food or of beverages—this requirement is in addition to the requirements of the commercial Television Industry Code of Practice.

There are other elements of the bill that I will not read out. What I want to make quite clear is that it is entirely wrong of Senator Bob Brown and it does not reflect well on him to claim that the Democrats wish to leave this matter to the companies which manufacture what are known as junk foods. We do not at all; our position is entirely different. Our position is as put in our private senator’s bill.