Senator FIELDING (Leader of the Family First Party) (2:58 PM) —My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Ludwig. Is it a fact that it has now been more than seven weeks since the government received the report from the National Preventative Health Taskforce and that the government has still not released this report to the public or announced one single recommendation from the report that the Rudd government will be implementing? Can the government tell the Senate when it will be making this Preventative Health Taskforce report available to the public and making itself accountable for the recommendations contained within it?

Senator LUDWIG (Special Minister of State and Cabinet Secretary) —I thank Senator Fielding for his interest in this area. The Preventative Health Taskforce submitted its final report to Minister Roxon, the Minister for Health and Ageing. I will not be able to speculate on what may or may not be within the report or what it recommends. I can say that it will provide recommendations about how best to prevent illness and stay well, focusing on three priority areas. Those are tobacco, obesity and alcohol. That is why, as I understand it, Senator Fielding has an interest in this area. Senator Fielding has raised the issues around tobacco and obesity and, of course, he has a long interest in alcohol—or I should say the issues surrounding the health effects of alcohol consumption.

I can also say that preventative health is vital in keeping people well, productive and out of hospital. The taskforce’s recommendations will be built on the historic $872 million we have invested in preventative health via the COAG process. The minister is currently working through its implementation details. In dealing with those, the minister will have to work through the implementation details with the states and territories to be in a position to provide the details in due course. I am not in a position to advise the Senate when that announcement will be. It is a matter that the minister will announce in due course. Those matters are within the government prerogative, and I am sure that Senator Fielding understands that the minister will be able to provide further information, given his question. I will seek additional information for him if I can.

Senator FIELDING —I have a supplementary question. I think that you have acknowledged that it is true that the Preventative Health Taskforce looked into the issues relating to the consumption of tobacco. You could confirm that. Also, given that plain tobacco packaging is an issue which has been called for by numerous organisations—including the Cancer Council of Australia, the National Heart Foundation of Australia and the Public Health Association of Australia, each of which made a submission to the National Preventative Health Taskforce—can the government confirm that the taskforce has recommended that Australia should adopt plain packaging laws for tobacco products?

Senator LUDWIG (Special Minister of State and Cabinet Secretary) —I thank Senator Fielding for his question. As I indicated in my response to his primary question, one of the broad areas that the taskforce will provide recommendations about is how best to prevent illness and stay well, but it also focuses on those three priority areas. One of those, I can confirm, is tobacco because the number of Australians smoking daily is down—and this is good news—from 23.8 per thousand in 1995 to 16.6 per thousand, a fall of more than half a million. That does not mean that we can stop there. We do need to continue to focus our efforts in this area. The election commitment of $15 million to reinvigorate the National Tobacco Strategy, including the National Tobacco Campaign, is one of those areas. I can also say that the COAG $1.6 billion— (Time expired)

Senator FIELDING —Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Is it true that smoking related diseases kill 15,000 Australians each year and cost the community over $30 billion? Will the government support moves for stricter consumer product standards for cigarette packets?

Senator LUDWIG (Special Minister of State and Cabinet Secretary) —Australia has led the way on tobacco reform and the results have been significant, with smoking rates down by 17 per cent. It is a demonstration of our commitment to reduce tobacco related harm and that is why we established the National Preventative Health Taskforce. As I indicated, one of the three priorities of the taskforce deals with reducing tobacco related harm. The taskforce has presented its final report. I am not currently in a position to comment on its what recommendations might be. The report is currently being examined by the government and will be released soon. I cannot speculate on each and every recommendation within in it, nor is Minister Roxon in a position to do so. I can take the question on notice to see if Minister Roxon can provide any additional information in respect to the questions asked. (Time expired)

Senator Chris Evans —Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.