Long wait for weight loss costs
Jan 28, 2012
David Pisoni MP
Shadow Minister for Education
Shadow Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education
Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Development
Long wait for weight loss costs
Invoices and transaction records have been reluctantly released by the State Labor Government to the Liberal Opposition under Freedom of Information laws, after the Ombudsman dismissed its reasons for keeping them secret.
Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Development David Pisoni said the Labor Government had been fighting to keep license fees Minister Hill paid to a French advertising company for an imported healthy lifestyle program a secret for 12 months.
Health Minister Hill launched OPAL (Obesity Prevention and Lifestyle) two years ago, despite concerns raised at the time regarding the program founder’s links to junk food companies.
The FOI documents confirm international direct cash transfers of more than $250,000 were made direct to advertising company “Proteins” – whose clients include Coca Cola, McDonalds, Ferrero and Nestle – in the first year of the program’s introduction.
The documents suggest an annual commitment of $750,000.
Program creator Dr Borys also put his name to a paper for the brewers of Europe called “Benefits of Modern Beer Consumption” that claims “beer does you good” and drinking beer is an enjoyable way to drink water.
“Minister Hill has run an unsuccessful public campaign to stop the advertising of junk food to children, but we now discover that Labor is paying for health advice from a master of junk food spin,” Mr Pisoni said.
“It’s ironic that a Labor Government infamous for its own spin appears to have been spun by hired guns for the junk food and beverage industries. But unfortunately South Australian taxpayers will be the ones who pick up the tab.”