Latest news with #Macarthur
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Labor MP's new push for a sugar tax that will affect every Australian gains momentum
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is seeking to tax Australia out of its dueling obesity and diabetes epidemics. A sugar tax could be placed on soft drinks, sweetened juice and cordial if the government were to adopt the AMA's latest advice released this week. Macarthur MP Michael Freelander believes the new tax should be introduced alongside a broader public education effort about the harms of excess sugar. The association has called for a new tax at a rate of 50c per 100g of added sugar for each of these drinks to be paid by beverage manufacturers. This means a 375mL of normal Coke with 39.8g of sugar would be hit with a tax of 19.9c. A 600mL bottle of Berry Ice Powerade with 34.8g of sugar would incur a 17.8c levy. Some government officials have already begun championing the new suggestion and even pushing to take it further. Dr Freelander, who is a practising pediatrician, hoped the new tax would prompt drink companies to put less sugar into their drinks going forward. Labor however has shut down any idea of itself helping to push these measures forward. 'What we're now seeing is children presenting with obesity and with type two diabetes. And we should not be seeing that,' Dr Freelander said. 'We do now see lots of societal changes that are causing health problems and one of the issues is the access to highly processed foods.' 'So it's not just about drinks, it's also about making people aware of the dangers of high calorie highly-processed foods.' The Parliamentary Budget Office found in 2024 that a 20 per cent tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would boost revenue by more than $1.3bn in two years. Dr Freelander requested the costings as a means to garner support but stressed that any policies should be trialled before they were implemented. Alongside the proposed tax Dr Freelander suggested alterations to future town planning which would make it easier for children to walk to school. This combined with greater access to healthy food and less fast food outlets would go a long way towards making the country healthier, he said. AMA Vice President, Julian Rait, agreed these measures would guarantee the 'best chance' at reducing rates of obesity and chronic disease. The proposal would drive down consumption by as much as 2kg per person and increase the bottomline budget by $3.6 billion, Mr Rait said. These savings could be 'invested in other crucial preventive health measures', he added. 'For people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, reducing sugar intake through swaps like drinking water over soft drinks can make a profound difference to their long-term health,' he told 'Last year it was revealed the sugar content in popular soft drink Fanta had increased by 60 per cent, despite industry assurances that sugary drinks were being reformulated.' Thus far Labor itself has ruled out any potential levy or tax and said it will instead seek to implement 'front-of-pack labelling' on sugary items. It will also work with companies to reduce the amount of sugar in foods, Health Minister Mark Butler said. 'There is no plan in our government for a sugar tax. We're instead focusing on education and also working with food manufacturers to reduce the amount of sugar that they put into their products,' he said in May.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bold push for new tax on soft drink, juices
A sugar tax on soft drink, sweetened juice and cordial is being backed as a way to reduce soaring rates of obesity and diabetes. Coinciding with National Diabetes Week, the Australian Medical Association has called for a new tax at a rate of 50c per 100g of added sugar, to be paid by beverage manufacturers. Under the proposal, a standard 375mL of full-sugar Coke with 39.8g of sugar would incur a tax of 19.9c, while a 600mL bottle of Berry Ice Powerade would be hit with a 17.8c levy for its 34.8g of sugar. Macarthur MP Michael Freelander, who is also a practising pediatrician, said a levy on sugar-sweetened beverages would encourage companies to put less sugar in drinks, however a tax should be considered alongside of broader education measures. 'I think that we owe it to the next generation to try and make sure they are healthier than our generation,' he told NewsWire. 'And what we're now seeing is children presenting with obesity and with type two diabetes. And we should not be seeing that.' In 2024, costings released by the Parliamentary Budget Office and requested by Dr Freelander found a 20 per cent tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would boost revenue by more than $1.3bn in two years, however he said any policies should be trialled before further implementation. Dr Freelander stressed education was the best way to improve public health outcomes. These included town planning to ensure children could walk to schools and shopping centres and not fast food outlets, plus increased access to healthy food, like subsidies on 'certain forms of food'. 'We do now see lots of societal changes that are causing health problems and one of the issues is the access to highly processed foods,' he said. 'So it's not just about drinks, it's also about making people aware of the dangers of high calorie highly-processed foods.' The Australian Medical Association have renewed calls for a sugar tax on sweetened drinks like soft drink, juice and cordials. AMA Vice President Julian Rait said the sugar tax was the 'best chance' or reducing rates of obesity and chronic disease like type 2 diabetes. He said the proposal would drive down consumption by 2kg per person and increase the budget bottomline by $3.6bn which could be 'invested in other crucial preventive health measures'. He added that more than 100 jurisdictions have implemented a sugar tax, like the UK, France, Mexico and Ireland. 'For people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, reducing sugar intake through swaps like drinking water over soft drinks can make a profound difference to their long-term health,' he said. 'Last year it was revealed the sugar content in popular soft drink Fanta had increased by 60 per cent, despite industry assurances that sugary drinks were being reformulated.' Health Minister Mark Butler said Labor had ruled out a potential levy or tax, and said the government's priorities were on 'front-of-pack labelling' and working with companies to reduce the amount of sugar in foods. 'There is no plan in our government for a sugar tax. We're instead focusing on education and also working with food manufacturers to reduce the amount of sugar that they put into their products,' he said in late May after the federal election. As it stands, health labels are administered by the Health Star Rating system which companies can voluntarily adhere to. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
News.com.au
16-07-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
AMA, Labor MP Michael Freelander calls for sugar tax on sweetened drinks
A sugar tax on soft drink, sweetened juice and cordial is being backed as a way to reduce soaring rates of obesity and diabetes. Coinciding with National Diabetes Week, the Australian Medical Association has called for a new tax at a rate of 50c per 100g of added sugar, to be paid by beverage manufacturers. Under the proposal, a standard 375mL of full-sugar Coke with 39.8g of sugar would incur a tax of 19.9c, while a 600mL bottle of Berry Ice Powerade would be hit with a 17.8c levy for its 34.8g of sugar. Macarthur MP Michael Freelander, who is also a practising pediatrician, said a levy on sugar-sweetened beverages would encourage companies to put less sugar in drinks, however a tax should be considered alongside of broader education measures. 'I think that we owe it to the next generation to try and make sure they are healthier than our generation,' he told NewsWire. 'And what we're now seeing is children presenting with obesity and with type two diabetes. And we should not be seeing that.' In 2024, costings released by the Parliamentary Budget Office and requested by Dr Freelander found a 20 per cent tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would boost revenue by more than $1.3bn in two years, however he said any policies should be trialled before further implementation. Dr Freelander stressed education was the best way to improve public health outcomes. These included town planning to ensure children could walk to schools and shopping centres and not fast food outlets, plus increased access to healthy food, like subsidies on 'certain forms of food'. 'We do now see lots of societal changes that are causing health problems and one of the issues is the access to highly processed foods,' he said. 'So it's not just about drinks, it's also about making people aware of the dangers of high calorie highly-processed foods.' The Australian Medical Association have renewed calls for a sugar tax on sweetened drinks like soft drink, juice and cordials. AMA Vice President Julian Rait said the sugar tax was the 'best chance' or reducing rates of obesity and chronic disease like type 2 diabetes. He said the proposal would drive down consumption by 2kg per person and increase the budget bottomline by $3.6bn which could be 'invested in other crucial preventive health measures'. He added that more than 100 jurisdictions have implemented a sugar tax, like the UK, France, Mexico and Ireland. 'For people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, reducing sugar intake through swaps like drinking water over soft drinks can make a profound difference to their long-term health,' he said. 'Last year it was revealed the sugar content in popular soft drink Fanta had increased by 60 per cent, despite industry assurances that sugary drinks were being reformulated.' Health Minister Mark Butler said Labor had ruled out a potential levy or tax, and said the government's priorities were on 'front-of-pack labelling' and working with companies to reduce the amount of sugar in foods. 'There is no plan in our government for a sugar tax. We're instead focusing on education and also working with food manufacturers to reduce the amount of sugar that they put into their products,' he said in late May after the federal election.
News.com.au
19-06-2025
- News.com.au
Tactical police have shot man during siege at a Sydney caravan park
Police have shot a man who allegedly lunged at them with a knife during a siege in a caravan park in southwestern Sydney. Police were called to a caravan park in Elderslie, in the Macarthur region, just after lunchtime on Thursday. NSW Police said in a statement the man was 'armed with a knife and made threats to self-harm.' 'Specialist resources attended to assist, and negotiators attempted to speak to the man who refused to co-operate,' the statement said. 'Just before 3.30pm, officers attached to the Tactical Operations Unit gained entry to the premises and the armed man rushed at officers with the knife. 'Police discharged a taser and less than lethal tactical rounds which were ineffective before the man was shot.' Police had locked down the area and refused to let locals back into the park as the situation developed. In footage obtained by 10 News, an officer in tactical gear can be seen pointing a rifle at somebody off-screen before three loud, sharp cracks are heard. The 52-year-old man was immediately treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics on scene and taken to Liverpool Hospital in a critical condition. He was reportedly shot at least three times, once in the arm, once in the leg and once in the abdomen. A witness at the scene said he was addressed by two 'heavily fortified police officers'. 'There was about eight of them all up and they weren't messing around. They had the full riot gear on, ready to go.' A critical incident team from State Crime Command's Homicide Squad will lead the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. The investigation will be reviewed by the Professional Standards Command and oversighted by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC).
Daily Telegraph
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
2025 Peter Mulholland Cup live stream: St Gregory's College v Hills Sports High
Don't miss out on the headlines from Rugby League Live Stream. Followed categories will be added to My News. When St Gregory's College coach Tom Morrison calls bullocking lock Lorima Cosgrave a Mack truck, he means it. He still has the tyre mark down his chest to prove it. Coming head-to-head with his young charge in a local seniors game, Morrison got a first hand insight of what other front rowers across the Peter Mulholland Cup have had to deal with this season. It is a raw power he wants to see again when the proud Campbelltown nursery hosts Hills Sports High on Tuesday. The clash will be exclusively live streamed FREE on KommunityTV. Lorima Cosgrave in action for the Western Suburbs Magpies in the SG Ball Cup. Picture Warren Gannon Photography 'He is a Mack truck, once he gets going he is very hard to knock off centre,' Morrison said. 'He played some games in the seniors for Campbelltown City and he scored a good try in the game against us. He made half a break and I came across thinking I could make a cover tackle on him. 'He stomped me into the turf and kept on running to the tryline. 'He is a classy player, but I keep trying to tell him he isn't a dummy-half anymore, he's a middle forward out and out.' The lock is one of several players in an undersized engine room which has continued to punch above its weight in 2025. Ryan Mackander in action for the Macarthur Tigers in the Laurie Daley Cup. Picture Warren Gannon Photography Front rower Ryan Mackander has been phenomenal for the school, while Jake Gaffney has shown he isn't afraid to hold the gloves up against bigger opposition packs. With two wins from two games, St Gregory's have already punched their ticket to the finals series, putting last year's anguish of missing play-offs by a mere two points on for-and-against. While the result of their contest against Hills Sports High doesn't matter in the grand scheme of the season, for Morrison a win is almost critical. 'We want to play well at our school and put on a show for the school,' he said. 'A lot of teams really enjoy their home field advantage, but we haven't had that in recent years. We have really struggled for results there, so we want to give them something to cheer.' It will be a final run out for Hills Sports High who are not able to qualify for the finals after losing their opening two matches of the season. Originally published as 2025 Peter Mulholland Cup live stream: St Gregory's College v Hills Sports High
