Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the last couple of months at least, the Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee has been holding an inquiry into the relocation of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, and what was the Senate committee's key conclusion when it reported last Friday? It said, 'Stop this madness, and stop this madness now.' The committee also found, in its responses to those who gave evidence to the inquiry, that the policy order being used to relocate the authority is flawed and that the finance minister failed in his responsibility to properly assess and cost the relocation. It also found that this move is unjustifiably costly for the Australian taxpayer. The inquiry demonstrated that the workforce of the APVMA is collapsing, and, therefore, its work output is collapsing. Finally, the Senate committee concluded that the Deputy Prime Minister, in relocating this important authority, is putting his own political interest ahead of the national interest, ahead of the interests of farmers and of every stakeholder that relies on that authority, and, not least, the way it is impacting on the good residents of Canberra. The Prime Minister should intervene and stop this madness. (Time expired)