Foundation, the Reduction in the Number of Smokers Being a Notable

STATE TAXATION (FURTHER AMENDMENT) BILL 1610 ASSEMBLY Wednesday, 10 November 1993 foundation, the reduction in the number of smokers source and purpose is broken. If that link is not being a notable success. Some smokers may say that maintained, there is no hypothecation. that success is due in part to the taxation revenue paid to the foundation. But the Quit program has Last year when VicHealth had been fully funded been very successful and has put Victoria at the according to hypothecation it received $31.3 million. forefront of health promotion campaigns of that sort. Parliament was told that would be reduced on a one-off basis to $25 million. That reduction was Recently I had the opportunity of listening to made with the clear assurance to return to full Dr Nigel Gray, who spoke at the opening of a breast hypothecation this year. Instead, this Bill makes a screening clinic. The prevention of breast cancer is further reduction to $22 million. The Bill represents a an important aspect of women's health, which is 28 per cent reduction in the last allocation of the why a campaign has been launched in conjunction fonner government. Hypothecation has been with State and Federal governments to set up breast abandoned, and the reductions in funding are screening clinics throughout Australia. Dr Gray said having a great effect on programs. that a great deal still needed to be done, particularly in the early recognition of some fonns of cancer, The reductions in funding are affecting VicHealth which is what the breast screening program is about. programs - for example, sports expenditure is He said that the early identification and treatment of down $3 million, health promotion expenditure is cancer saves lives. They are the sorts of programs on down almost $4 million and arts expenditure is which the work of the foundation is based. down almost $1 million. I wish to emphasise the reduction in sports expenditure. I have no argument with the general thrust of the honourable member for Frankston's comments To date, like most electorates, Geelong North has about the worth of previous programs undertaken been well served by VicHealth. Local sporting clubs by the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation. that would not have survived without support have However, I take issue with his assertion that it is benefited from the funds that have flowed from now possible to accommodate a cut in spending VicHealth. Those clubs would not have been able to because the foundation has been so successful! I continue programs had it not been for VicHealth tend to agree with Dr Gray's assessment that in funding. Programs throughout the Geelong North health there is always something to be done. There is electorate such as little athletics, little league football always another campaign to be waged to save lives and even senior football and cricket have benefited by early recognition and early intervention; and from VicHealth funding. Unfortunately my there is always a role for education programs. colleague the honourable member for Keilor cannot convince VicHealth that the Keilor gift should also I do not accept the argument that a cut in funds for be funded. the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation can be accommodated because of the success of previous The Bill will make it much harder for small clubs programs. We should be saying that we have proved suffering from the loss of income due to the range of education programs benefit the community and that changes that have occurred in the past few years to we should extend the frontiers of health education to obtain funds. Football and cricket clubs are now other areas. Victoria is seen as a world leader in beginning to feel the effects of gaming machines. these sorts of health education issues, a record that Some larger football clubs have entered into every member of Parliament should be proud of. We significant commitments on the basis of their should be arguing for the extension of health previous bingo revenues - one club's commitments education programs. are approaching $100 000 a year - but in the past 12 months they have received almost nothing from Hypothecation has always been integral to the the gaming machines and are facing enonnous programs of VicHealth, but, as I pointed out earlier, problems. this Bill effectively represents the second stage of the abandonment of hypothecation If the power to set I have some interest in the Geelong Cricket Club. the amount going to the Victorian Health Promotion Honourable members would know that Geelong has Foundation is altered and the basis of detennining a proud cricketing history having produced many the annual level of funding is played around with, fine players. Back in the 19705 the Australian test then hypothecation no longer exists. There may be a team had more players in it from Geelong than from 5 per cent tax on tobacco, but the direct link between any city in Australia. That is a proud tradition. Last year the people of Geelong were delighted when the STATE TAXATION (FURTHER AMENDMENT) BILL Wednesday, 10 November 1993 ASSEMBLY 1611 Geelong Cricket Club was finally accepted into the shadow Treasurer referred to this during debate on Victorian Cricket Association - the first another measure. The government is introducing a non-metropolitan club to ever participate in that number of Bills that alter or vary section 85 of the association. The people of Geelong are sure that it Constitution Act and as a consequence remove the will not be long before they can celebrate dual rights people have to take certain action. The cricket and football premierships. government says it is about upholding the rights of individuals and it should examine what seems to be This is the inaugural year for the Geelong Cricket a growing trend in its legislation. Club as a member of that association and, as such, many of the costs and problems it is currently facing The Bill is wrong in principle. Health priorities will not flow on beyond this season. A club has should not be set according to the view of the much to do in establishing itself, and many of the Treasurer, which is, ''How much will we let them costs involved will not be incurred again. I was have?" Health is too important for that. The Bill is approached by the Geelong Cricket Club to assist it wrong in its effect, as has been pointed out by a in finding out whether funding could be made number of opposition speakers. The study by available for its inaugural season. It was not looking Or Norman of the effect of health education for ongoing funding, only money for this year. programs carried out by the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation is important and germane to I wrote to both the Victorian Health Promotion the debate. Or Norman developed an economic Foundation and the Minister for Sport, Recreation model. He took the Treasurer's approach to health and Racing. I do not wish to be excessively spending: he was not sentimental about whether it is nitpicking, but the responses were somewhat tardy a good thing to increase health spending, but went and not extremely helpful. In fact, the Health down the economic rationalist road. Or Norman has Promotion Foundation advised me that nothing was never been known as a friend of this side of the available in its program to assist in any way the House: he is not someone who government Geelong Cricket Club. The only thing it suggested members can say is a mate of the Labor Party. that might have been remotely helpful was some However, Or Norman's study clearly shows that the sponsorship of junior cricketers on an individual $16 million spent through the foundation on health basis. It suggested that perhaps individual junior resulted in a $200 million benefit for the community. members of the club could apply for the assistance, That is a terrific result. If we could go to the races but that was not particularly useful for the club. and come home with a benefit like that we would have had a good day. It points clearly to the fact that I ask the honourable member for Frankston in his so long as programs are structured correctly, they role as a member of the board of the foundation to are effective. Health education is more than just ask the board whether it can address itself to some getting children to wear hats. Money spent properly other areas in sport that could be assisted. That is on health education has a positive result for all especially the case when he says that there is no Victorians. need for the same funding this year as last year or the year before because the programs that had to be Or Norman concluded that rather than reducing the undertaken have been fulfilled. If it provided funds budget of the foundation the government should for the Geelong Cricket Club, the foundation would increase it. His recommendation was based on the carry out its objective of promoting a healthy efficacy of the spending. It is an economic model lifestyle in the community, and the cricket club with an economic outcome. Although Or Norman would be extremely grateful. recommended an increase in the funding of the foundation, the government and the Treasurer have I refer also to the Staughton Vale outdoor camp reduced funding by approximately 30 per cent! which conducts, among other things, school holiday programs. Many children experience outdoor Members of this place often talk about the effective camping for the first time at the camp.

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