Australian Grape and Wine have created a fact and advice sheet and are asking every grape and wine business to let federal, state and territory politicians know why this matters, and why the Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation needs to make a decision that balances public health objectives with the commercial realities of grape and wine businesses.
What’s been proposed, why it’s bad, and what you need to do
Attachment A
provides a summary of what FSANZ is proposing to ministers, Australian Grape & Wine’s assessment of the proposal, and what a better alternative might look like.
Attachment B
provides a template for you if you are able to write to your local parliamentarians and federal, state and territory ministers.
This issue will be considered by the Ministerial Forum before the end of March.
The Ministerial Forum has two options:
1) It can accept the FSANZ recommendations; or
2) It can reject them and request a review.
State and Federal
Ministers have already decided to mandate a pregnancy warning label
, so we must recognise that will not change. However, if we can get enough small winemakers and grapegrowers to raise their concerns with their State and Federal Minsters and Parliamentarians, the power of many voices will provide a greater chance of convincing members of the Forum to call for a review of the FSANZ recommendations. In turn, this could lead to removing the most egregious elements.
This is the last chance to make your voice heard, so please do not hesitate to contact your local parliamentarians.
Please feel free to call Lee McLean, Australian Grape and Wine General Manager, Government Relations and External Affairs on 0418 998 749 or email
lee@agw.org.au
if you would like any further information.
