QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Dr SCAMPS (Mackellar) (15:01): This week is Dentists on the Hill week. Dental decay remains the most common preventable chronic disease in Australian children. Roughly one in three children has tooth decay by school entry, and one in four is living with untreated decay.
After the UK implemented a sugar-sweetened-beverage levy 10 years ago, there was a dramatic reduction in the number of children requiring tooth extractions due to decay. When will the government put the health of Australian children first and implement a sugar-sweetened-beverage reformulation levy? The SPEAKER: I give the call to the Minister for Health— Mr Tehan: Speaker, I'd just like to point out that it was our question— The SPEAKER: Yes, there was— Mr Tehan: and the member was on his feet.
Now, you've said that sometimes—and it happened earlier—when a member wasn't up, getting the call, that we have to have the right order. So I'd respectfully ask you to give the member the question, just for the consistency and order of the House. The SPEAKER: I will admit that I made the mistake there.
When I make mistakes, I own up to them. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: Order! Order!
No, we're just going to deal with this. I like to treat everyone fairly, and I will treat the opposition fairly. So I apologise to the member for Mackellar that I had the wrong order list here.
I'll take that responsibility. With the House's indulgence, I will give the call to the member for Fairfax—and, before that, the Prime Minister? Mr Albanese: Yes, just a point of order, Mr Speaker: it might be just efficient, given we've heard the question, to get the answer, and then have the member for Fairfax next, and then we'll conclude question time.
The SPEAKER: If that's with the concurrence with the manager, we can do this in a— Mr Tehan: As long as the member for Fairfax gets to ask his question, we're happy to oblige. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Teamwork is the dream-work. The member for Mackellar has asked her question, so we'll go to the minister for health, and then we'll go to the member for Fairfax.