← All decisions

1. What was proposedCaitlin ToughLabor · Government backbench
   Read the original wording (500 words)

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) food is not good or bad. It can be medicine for some people, for others certain food is not safe, some people cannot eat certain foods or only eat certain foods, and for some food is an integral part of their culture; (b) how society talks about food and how it is taught in schools can have an impact on an individual’s relationship with food, body image and their ongoing health, as well as that of those around them; (c) all households have different needs around food including diabetes, allergies, coeliac disease, eating disorders, neurodivergence or cultural practices; (d) everyone is entitled to their privacy around food and should not feel pressured to explain their needs or personal information to others about food, particularly in a school environment; (e) everyone should feel welcome in the classroom and playground regardless of what they do or do not eat; (f) in 2023, the Australian Curriculum was updated to change the way food and nutrition are taught, to reduce the risk of inadvertently causing harm to students with body image concerns. This has a flow-on positive effect to all students and their relationship with food; (g) the changes included: (i) a comprehensive review of website text for preferred language with over 340 references to Body Mass Index (BMI), weight, calories, healthier, class surveys, good and diet removed or replaced, with a new focus on “strategies to maintain health and wellbeing”; and (ii) the updated curriculum advises teachers to avoid activities that critique and compare personal food and wellbeing choices/habits with those of other people, including avoiding focusing on constant improvements for all students to be “healthier” and using terms like “good” and “bad foods”; (2) further notes that: (a) approximately 1.1 million people aged over the age of five in Australia have an eating disorder, with 27 percent of cases among those aged 10-19; (b) eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that present in many forms, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID); (c) people with diabetes, allergies, coeliac disease, neurodivergence, and cultural practices around food may face greater challenges if they develop an eating disorder, and it is important to recognise the risks and ensure supports are in place; and (d) the ACT Government provides a range of specialist services for people presenting with disordered eating or moderate to severe eating disorders. These include the Eating Disorders Clinical Hub, community-based programs such as the Eating Disorder Program and Short-Term Recovery Intervention for Disordered Eating, and the recently opened Eating Disorders Residential Treatment Centre; and (3) calls on the ACT Government to: (a) work with the ACT Education Directorate, the Australian Education Union, teachers, parents, and school communities to develop modern, fit-for- purpose teaching resources aligned with the updated food and nutrition Australian Curriculum to be more inclusive of all students’ circumstances; (b) support schools and teachers to deliver the updated resources; and (c) report back to the Assembly by October 2026. Debate ensued.

2. Proposed changeLaura NuttallGreens · Crossbench3 September 2025

   Grouped by key words as: rewrote the proposal, changed a date or deadline, added reporting or consultation, turned an action into a review.

   The exact wording of this change

   Omit all text after paragraph (3)(a), substitute: “(b) consult with non-governmental organisations focused on education regarding disordered eating and diverse and inclusive food needs, and consider the procurement of existing resources that align with the Australian Curriculum; (c) consider the procurement or development of resources for both parents and teachers to learn about eating disorders and diverse food needs, role modelling healthy approaches to food and nutrition and supporting students; (d) explore the potential to integrate developed curriculum materials with existing programs such as meals in schools as the program expands; (e) support schools and teachers to deliver the updated resources in line with the Australian Curriculum; and (f) report back to the Assembly by October 2026.”. Debate continued.

   Agreed on the voices. No individual votes were recorded. Some of its wording is in the final text.

3. Proposed changeThomas EmersonIndependent · Crossbench3 September 2025

   Added social media algorithms and body image, and teaching about algorithms. Our summary, review in progress

   The exact wording of this change

   to the motion, as amended, together: 1. Insert after paragraph (2)(d): “(e) social media providers knowingly use algorithms that elicit negative feelings around users’ body image; (f) an internal Meta study showed 17 percent of teen girls said Instagram makes eating disorders worse; and (g) a recent study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate showed YouTube’s recommendation algorithm pushes eating disorder content to young girls;”. 2. Insert after paragraph (3)(b): “(c) consider how to include education on algorithmic literacy across the ACT public school system to inform students about how social media algorithms can shape their attitudes toward food and body image;”. Debate continued.

   Agreed on the voices. No individual votes were recorded. Its wording is in the final text.

4. What the Assembly decidedAgreed

   Decided on the voices: no individual votes were recorded, so this doesn’t show that every MLA agreed.

   Final agreed wording, with changes marked

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) food is not good or bad. It can be medicine for some people, for others certain food is not safe, some people cannot eat certain foods or only eat certain foods, and for some food is an integral part of their culture; (b) how society talks about food and how it is taught in schools can have an impact on an individual’s relationship with food, body image and their ongoing health, as well as that of those around them; (c) all households have different needs around food including diabetes, allergies, coeliac disease, eating disorders, neurodivergence or cultural practices; (d) everyone is entitled to their privacy around food and should not feel pressured to explain their needs or personal information to others about food, particularly in a school environment; (e) everyone should feel welcome in the classroom and playground regardless of what they do or do not eat; (f) in 2023, the Australian Curriculum was updated to change the way food and nutrition are taught, to reduce the risk of inadvertently causing harm to students with body image concerns. This has a flow-on positive effect to all students and their relationship with food; (g) the changes included: (i) a comprehensive review of website text for preferred language with over 340 references to Body Mass Index (BMI), weight, calories, healthier, class surveys, good and diet removed or replaced, with a new focus on “strategies to maintain health and wellbeing”; and (ii) the updated curriculum advises teachers to avoid activities that critique and compare personal food and wellbeing choices/habits with those of other people, including avoiding focusing on constant improvements for all students to be “healthier” and using terms like “good” and “bad foods”; (2) further notes that: (a) approximately 1.1 million people aged over the age of five in Australia have an eating disorder, with 27 percent of cases among those aged 10-19; (b) eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that present in many forms, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID); (c) people with diabetes, allergies, coeliac disease, neurodivergence, and cultural practices around food may face greater challenges if they develop an eating disorder, and it is important to recognise the risks and ensure supports are in place; (d) the ACT Government provides a range of specialist services for people presenting with disordered eating or moderate to severe eating disorders. These include the Eating Disorders Clinical Hub, community-based programs such as the Eating Disorder Program and Short-Term Recovery Intervention for Disordered Eating, and the recently opened Eating Disorders Residential Treatment Centre; (e) social media providers knowingly use algorithms that elicit negative feelings around users’ body image; (f) an internal Meta study showed 17 percent of teen girls said Instagram makes eating disorders worse; and (g) a recent study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate showed YouTube’s recommendation algorithm pushes eating disorder content to young girlsEmerson; and (3) calls on the ACT Government to: (a) work with the ACT Education Directorate, the Australian Education Union, teachers, parents, and school communities to develop modern, fit-for- purpose teaching resources aligned with the updated food and nutrition Australian Curriculum to be more inclusive of all students’ circumstances; (b) consult with non-governmental organisations focused on education regarding disordered eating and diverse and inclusive food needs, and consider the procurement of existing resources that align with the Australian Curriculum; (c) consider how to include education on algorithmic literacy across the ACT public school system to inform students about how social media algorithms can shape their attitudes toward food and body imageEmerson; (d) consider the procurement or development of resources for both parents and teachers to learn about eating disorders and diverse food needs, role modelling healthy approaches to food and nutrition and supporting students; (e) explore the potential to integrate developed curriculum materials with existing programs such as meals in schools as the program expands; (f) support schools and teachers to deliver the updated resources in line with the Australian Curriculum; and (g) report back to the Assembly by October 2026.

   Original and final wording compared

   taken out put in

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) food is not good or bad. It can be medicine for some people, for others certain food is not safe, some people cannot eat certain foods or only eat certain foods, and for some food is an integral part of their culture; (b) how society talks about food and how it is taught in schools can have an impact on an individual’s relationship with food, body image and their ongoing health, as well as that of those around them; (c) all households have different needs around food including diabetes, allergies, coeliac disease, eating disorders, neurodivergence or cultural practices; (d) everyone is entitled to their privacy around food and should not feel pressured to explain their needs or personal information to others about food, particularly in a school environment; (e) everyone should feel welcome in the classroom and playground regardless of what they do or do not eat; (f) in 2023, the Australian Curriculum was updated to change the way food and nutrition are taught, to reduce the risk of inadvertently causing harm to students with body image concerns. This has a flow-on positive effect to all students and their relationship with food; (g) the changes included: (i) a comprehensive review of website text for preferred language with over 340 references to Body Mass Index (BMI), weight, calories, healthier, class surveys, good and diet removed or replaced, with a new focus on “strategies to maintain health and wellbeing”; and (ii) the updated curriculum advises teachers to avoid activities that critique and compare personal food and wellbeing choices/habits with those of other people, including avoiding focusing on constant improvements for all students to be “healthier” and using terms like “good” and “bad foods”; (2) further notes that: (a) approximately 1.1 million people aged over the age of five in Australia have an eating disorder, with 27 percent of cases among those aged 10-19; (b) eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that present in many forms, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID); (c) people with diabetes, allergies, coeliac disease, neurodivergence, and cultural practices around food may face greater challenges if they develop an eating disorder, and it is important to recognise the risks and ensure supports are in place; [taken out: and](d) the ACT Government provides a range of specialist services for people presenting with disordered eating or moderate to severe eating disorders. These include the Eating Disorders Clinical Hub, community-based programs such as the Eating Disorder Program and Short-Term Recovery Intervention for Disordered Eating, and the recently opened Eating Disorders Residential Treatment Centre; [put in: (e) social media providers knowingly use algorithms that elicit negative feelings around users’ body image; (f) an internal Meta study showed 17 percent of teen girls said Instagram makes eating disorders worse;]and [put in: (g) a recent study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate showed YouTube’s recommendation algorithm pushes eating disorder content to young girls; and](3) calls on the ACT Government to: (a) work with the ACT Education Directorate, the Australian Education Union, teachers, parents, and school communities to develop modern, fit-for- purpose teaching resources aligned with the updated food and nutrition Australian Curriculum to be more inclusive of all students’ circumstances; (b) [put in: consult with non-governmental organisations focused on education regarding disordered eating and diverse and inclusive food needs, and consider the procurement of existing resources that align with the Australian Curriculum; (c) consider how to include education on algorithmic literacy across the ACT public school system to inform students about how social media algorithms can shape their attitudes toward food and body image; (d) consider the procurement or development of resources for both parents and teachers to learn about eating disorders and diverse food needs, role modelling healthy approaches to food and nutrition and supporting students; (e) explore the potential to integrate developed curriculum materials with existing programs such as meals in schools as the program expands; (f)]support schools and teachers to deliver the updated resources [put in: in line with the Australian Curriculum;]and [taken out: (c)][put in: (g)]report back to the Assembly by October 2026. [taken out: Debate ensued.]

   Compared word by word by computer, ignoring punctuation. It shows what differs, not which change made each difference; the steps above show that.