Page 3914 - Week 13 - Thursday, 17 October 1991
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Mr Berry's comments in relation to the CDF and the Health Promotion Fund have already been referred to by Mr Humphries. In Mr Berry's case, it depends a little on whether you are in government or in opposition as to which side you support. I see that Mr Berry, in the Estimates Committee last night, said that the Health Promotion Fund has continued. Okay, the money has gone into Consolidated Revenue.
Mr Berry: No, it has not.
MR JENSEN: It has effectively gone into Consolidated Revenue. He is providing $900,000 this year, which is not even keeping up with inflation. In fact, it is a decrease in the amount of money that is to be provided.
I guess we all have to be careful at times to remember what we have said in the past, because occasionally it will become a rather large boomerang. It may be that these days more people are expressing concern about political statements on things such as this. They want people to stand up for their rights and for their convictions, as my colleague Dr Kinloch has done today. Anyone who has young children and has seen them affected by the pressures in relation to both alcohol and cigarettes would have to have some concern. A relative of mine wasted away before my very eyes as a result of the effects of both these drugs.
My colleague Mr Collaery indicated today that what we want is a commitment from the Minister to implement very quickly the national health strategy on tobacco, which was agreed by the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy in 1989. It states:
One of the overall goals of the national health strategy on tobacco is to improve the health of all Australians by eliminating or reducing their exposure to tobacco in all its forms.
It goes on to talk about marketing:
Advertising is of particular concern because it reinforces smoking as an acceptable behaviour and maintains levels of tobacco consumption. This contradicts the primary goal of the national health strategy on tobacco.
The World Health Organisation has long since recommended a ban on advertising and promotion of all tobacco products.
That is effectively what is happening at the Winfield Cup; and it is happening at the Benson and Hedges games, whether we like it or not.
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