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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-04-01 Daily Xml
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CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Mr PISONI (Unley) (16:57): I have a supplementary question. Why then, minister, is it going into only 20 per cent of schools? The EPODE program is only going into—

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Koutsantonis): Order! First, the member will address all his questions through the chair. Secondly, is it a supplementary question? I will allow it.

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (16:57): Perhaps if I can answer that question; I am surprised by the member for Unley's question. He raised similar issues in the media during the week. He was clearly in the wrong sort of territory in relation to this issue. He did come to the briefing, and I am grateful that he came to the briefing with Dr Borys. If he learnt anything from the briefing from Dr Borys, I hope he learnt that, even in France (that great democracy to the north of here), they started this program in a small number of schools—in fact, in two communities for 15 years or thereabouts—before they spread it out across the system.

It is very important with programs of this sort that you establish a solid base in schools and communities where there is strong local motivation and capacity to introduce them in a meaningful way. You cannot just plonk them on every school and every community in the state in the hope that they will work. In fact, he was saying the exact opposite of that. You have to build up momentum for it by going with those who have the strongest commitment, and that is precisely what we are intending to do. I invite the member for Unley to change tack on this issue and work with the government and the schools that eventually become associated with this and to try to work in his community to ensure that this program is successful.

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