Diabetes Inquiry report released

4 July 2024

Background  

The House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport, chaired by Dr Mike Freelander MP, has tabled its report on the state of diabetes mellitus in Australia. 

The Committee has made 23 recommendations covering the diagnosis, management, education and prevention of diabetes and obesity.  

Those most relevant to our sector are: 

Recommendation 2 

The Committee recommends that the National Health and Medical Research Council expedites a review of the Australian Dietary Guidelines, and ensures that the revised guidelines include adequate information for Australians living with diabetes. 

Recommendation 3 

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government implements food labelling reforms targeting added sugar to allow consumers to clearly identify the content of added sugar from front-of-pack labelling. This food labelling initiative should be separate from the information regarding added sugar potentially being included in the Nutrition Information Panel. 

Recommendation 4 

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government implements a levy on sugar-sweetened beverages, such that the price is modelled on international best practice and the anticipated improvement of health outcomes. The levy should be graduated according to the sugar content. 

Recommendation 5 

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government considers regulating the marketing and advertising of unhealthy food to children, and that this regulation should: 

• Focus on children defined as those aged 16 and under 
• Be applied to television, radio, gaming and online 
• Use definition of unhealthy food that has been independently developed. 

Coalition members of the Committee prepared a dissenting report, opposing the recommendation for a levy on sugar sweetened beverages. 

AFGC action 

Overall, the AFGC’s contributions were well reflected in the report in line with our strategy of being credible in putting forward industry’s view. The recommendations in relation to preventive health were largely as expected following our discussions with Committee members on both sides of the Parliament during the report drafting phase. 

There has been limited media attention so far and we are not planning to proactively engage in public discussion. A statement has been prepared if we are approached for comment. 

While the Inquiry outcomes are not expected to rapidly shift the policy dial, we will continue to actively engage at bureaucratic and political levels in relation to activities in preventive health area. 

Contact  

You can contact me on duncan.craig@afgc.org.au, 0403 854 947 or Scott McGrath, Director, Government Affairs and Media Relations at scott.mcgrath@afgc.org.au , 0434 571 066 if you would like further information.