Page 1257 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 16 April 1991
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MR JENSEN: Mr Speaker, I am not aware that I said on ABC radio that I was not prepared to debate Mr Connolly on that particular issue. In fact, Mr Speaker, for the information and edification of members opposite, my colleagues and I will, in fact, be discussing those issues on Friday morning.
Pizza Hut Reading Scheme
MR STEFANIAK: My question is to the Minister for Health, Mr Humphries. The Pizza Hut group announced yesterday in Victoria that it would offer free pizzas to primary school children of that State as a reward for increasing their reading skills outside school. Are you aware of the proposed scheme, and do you propose to support the introduction of such a scheme in the ACT?
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I thank Mr Stefaniak for that question. I certainly know that he is a great supporter of both literacy and pizza, so I am sure that he is well qualified to ask the question. I am aware of the proposed scheme that Pizza Hut is introducing in Victoria as an incentive for increased reading outside school, and I have to say that the objective of that scheme is very laudable.
In the ACT the boards of government schools determine whether schools will participate in such schemes. Many schools benefit from association with commercial firms such as banks and computer companies, and such support by the private sector is very welcome to schools in the ACT. However, as Minister for Health, I have to say that I am a little bit concerned by the prospect of linking better reading and further reading in our schools with the consumption of pizza or other fast foods as a reward. The proposed scheme uses as a reward a food which does not comply with Australian dietary guidelines. This conflicts with the Australian Health and Medical Research Council's recommendations to support an environment conducive to healthy food choices. I think using food as a reward can certainly lead to overeating, and childhood obesity is an increasing problem in our community and one which we have to not overlook.
I do think Pizza Hut deserves commendation for the objective of its project, and in other health related areas it has done very well. Their restaurants were some of the first in the ACT to introduce smoke-free zones, and they deserve our commendation for that. However, I think we have to be very careful about launching into a scheme such as this. I would rather see some alternative explored which would provide equally attractive but not unhealthy alternatives to children as an incentive to read outside school.
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