Page 701 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 28 March 2006
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
I was thinking, after seeing it on the notice paper today, that this MPI may well be an exercise by Ms MacDonald—and I do congratulate her—to highlight to her colleagues in cabinet that the issue of healthier and more active children is a very important one, perhaps not recognised in full, and that, by using the opportunity to have a debate on a matter that so obviously is important to all Canberrans, Ms MacDonald is signifying her capabilities as a member and the fact that she is keeping her focus at least on local matters, and for that I commend her.
In May 2003, Ms MacDonald, as a member of the health committee at the time looking into the health and wellbeing of young Canberrans, made a very specific reference to the issue of having clearer labelling of foods that outline their nutritional values and that parents, guardians, schools and children themselves should be made more aware of the messages that are being promoted about maintaining a healthier lifestyle, complemented by a balanced, nutritional diet.
In May 2003, Ms MacDonald, also as a member of the health committee, noted that the committee could not cover every issue relating to the health of school-aged children from preschool right up to college years because they are ever emerging. To revisit that statement almost three years later is worthy because of that very point: the health issues of children and young people in Canberra are ever changing.
So today I am pleased to support this and I am cognisant of the fact that there is talk under the functional review of areas being cut. Let us hope that certainly the sport and fitness area is not one and that money is directed, targeted and focused at cutting and stamping out obesity—in the words of Ms MacDonald’s MPI “implementing programs to encourage healthy and active children in the ACT”—and certainly being able to live up to the words of a former minister in this place, Mr Bill Wood, who said:
In the 2003-04 Budget, the ACT Government highlighted its vision of building this community and we place particular emphasis on giving our children every chance to realise their potential. Accordingly, the health and wellbeing of children will be a strong theme of the Canberra Plan.
I sincerely hope that will be the case. I sincerely hope that adequate and appropriately targeted funding will be out there when people need it, so that we do not see further declines in the health and activeness of our young children.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Minister for Health and Minister for Planning) (4.20): The ACT government recognises the importance of encouraging healthy, active children and is committed to programs that promote good health in children and young people.
Childhood obesity is an emerging public health problem attributed to changes in dietary intake and declining levels of physical activity. In the ACT, information supplied through the kindergarten health screen in 2004 suggests that 12 per cent of ACT kindergarten boys aged up to 6½ were overweight and four per cent were obese, and 14 per cent of ACT kindergarten girls aged up to 6½ were overweight and four per cent were obese.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .