It’s time our Prime Ministers had an honest chat about sustainable development …

by Tim Wilson, October 29, 2010

Today Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, is flying off to Vietnam to attend the East Asian Summit and will then proceed to Malaysia to meet with Prime Minister Najib Razak. They’re certainly going to have a lot to talk about.

The Australian government has commissioned the Blewett Review looking into food labelling laws, and one of the proposals is the separate labelling of palm oil from other vegetable oils. This campaign was started by the hectoring of the anti-palm oil lobby who appear to oppose the use of the oil for any purpose whether it is sustainably harvested, or not.

The review should cause concern to the Malaysian government for two reasons.

First, because any separate labelling of palm oil as different from other vegetable oils would set a precedent and encourage consumer boycotts based on false information.

Second, because it will be government endorsement of the misinformation being put out there by the anti-palm oil lobby. This misinformation recently became apparent to the Malaysian government during recent reports responded to by the Malaysian Prime Minister from misleading attacks by zoos undermining the palm oil industry and attacking Malaysia itself.

The misinformation being put out by zoos has previously been a focus of Sustainable Development’s Report Exposed: The inaccurate and inappropriate campaign by Zoos Victoria. The report concluded that of twelve claims made by the zoo only two are actual facts.

The attacks by zoos have reached such an irrational fever pitch that the Malaysian palm oil industry has lodged a formal complaint with the Australia government. Their action is understandable to protect their commercial interests.

But it is also in the interests of the Australian government to take action. Australia is a liberal country that believes in freedom of speech. But government-funded bodies shouldn’t knowingly use taxpayer dollars to mislead the public on issues surrounding the environment and economic development which is what zoos are doing. There’s also our national economic interest that cheap imports help drive domestic industries. Without them business is less competitive.

No doubt the comings and goings of the palm oil debate will be on the Malaysian Prime Minister’s agenda. And it should be if he’s interested in the ongoing sustainable economic development of his country. And it should be on Prime Minister Gillard’s agenda to ensure the Australian public is being told the truth in food labelling or zoo information campaigns. Currently they’re not.

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