Not yet registered?Sign upLogin

SPEECH TO PARLIAMENT: TRUTH IN FOOD LABELLING BILL

Speeches September 15 2005

» Download speech

Honest labelling is a community issue. Most Australians are patriotic and want to support Australian products and produce – because that means supporting fellow Australians.

As consumers, if we don’t have the right information before us, we can’t decide how best to support other Australians by buying Australian produce and products.

Recently I joined hundreds of fruit and vegetable growers rallying at Parliament House to persuade politicians to have rules to help people buy Australian products and produce.

Companies might choose to make decisions purely on business grounds, but this does not excuse them from the implications of their decisions.  Good corporate responsibility is more than just making profits and boosting returns to shareholders.

Being a good corporate citizen is good for business, because it takes account of the impact a business has on staff, customers and the wider community.

One timely example is McDonald’s decision to buy some potatoes from New Zealand.  That decision has real consequences for Australian potato growers, their families and communities. Consumers are entitled to know where produce and products come from so they can decide for themselves whether this influences their spending decisions.

We should all be leading by example in encouraging Australians to buy Australian produce and products.

Dr Gianni Zappala, who teaches corporate citizenship at the University of Sydney, says good corporate citizenship “… integrates social, ethical, environmental, economic and philanthropic values in the core decision making processes of a business.”

He says it is “where the increased awareness of their role and impact in society is integrated into all business decisions”.

To be successful, companies need the trust and respect of the community.  To earn that trust and respect it is important to give consumers full and accurate information about products and produce so they can make informed decisions.

That’s good for consumers, good for business and good for Australia.