The
Government’s latest $6 million taxpayer-funded advertising blitz is designed to get the fat kiddies off the couch and into the great outdoors.

Of course the
Government can’t really be serious about tackling this issue – after all, last
year they ruled out regulating junk food ads targeting the young sprogs, so they
can’t really think ads are all that effective, can they?

If kids aren’t
getting fat because of the ads, why would they get thinner because of the ads?

Other
governments have banned children being targeted to buy
chips, and sweeties. But our lot won’t even take vending machines selling such
tooth-rotting treats out of schools.

Of course
listening to Beazley talk about childhood obesity sits oddly with the man-mountain himself – even if he is apparently swimming 60
laps a day, a factoid revealed by Glenn Milne in the Sunday tabloids (not
online) and has lost eight kilos by “spurning fats.” But at least he says
they’ll respond to the
Australian Communications and Media Authority audit on the impact of junk food
advertising on children’s health.

Perhaps he’d also like
to consider a national policy on when Easter eggs should be sold.

Since the
Government won’t be actually doing anything beyond shovelling another $6 million
into the pockets of the deserving and neglected advertising agencies, perhaps
parents should consider suing.
Or voting for the Greens.