A convicted murderer in Victoria has launched a legal fight to overturn a long-standing ban on Vegemite in prisons. Andre McKechnie, 54, claims the rule violates his right to enjoy Australian culture. He filed the case in the Supreme Court of Victoria, and the trial is set for next year.
McKechnie argues the ban also denies him adequate food under the Corrections Act. He wants the court to order officials to review the decision and follow the law when reconsidering it.
Victorian prisons banned Vegemite in 2006. Officials say inmates used it to mask drug smells from detection dogs. The spread also contains yeast, which prisoners can use to brew alcohol. These risks keep Vegemite on the contraband list.
Vegemite remains an iconic Australian food. Many Australians enjoy it on toast, though newcomers often find the taste challenging. Even former U.S. President Barack Obama described it as “horrible.”
Victims’ advocate John Herron criticised the lawsuit. He said cases like this show how victims receive little support while offenders gain attention. Herron’s daughter was murdered in 2019, and he called the legal push “offensive.”
McKechnie is serving a life sentence for a 1994 murder. He spent eight years on parole before returning to custody.
