Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I direct my question to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Joe Ludwig. Considering your department is currently investigating a reported breach of the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System in Indonesia involving Australian cattle—when Meat and Livestock Australia consultants were allegedly present but I understand did not report the breaches to you or your department and the breach was reported by Animals Australia—and, further, that in Senate estimates Meat and Livestock Australia stated that it was not their role to report breaches of ESCAS; and, given that Meat and Livestock Australia consultants are on the ground in importing countries, often in the absence of any other government staff, is it your expectation that they will advise your government if they observe or suspect any breaches of ESCAS?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Senator Rhiannon. I say first of all that it is heartening to hear the Greens supporting ESCAS. For once we have a system in place for the control of animals throughout the supply chain. If there are any breaches in the supply chain then there is a regulator who can then investigate those circumstances and take appropriate compliance action. This is the important framework. What can now occur within that framework is appropriate compliance action. That compliance action can go to the extent of ensuring that the exporter has additional conditions or the import permits are modified. Alternatively, exports can be suspended into those markets.

We also have a system where the exporters themselves can self-identify and provide advice to the regulator in respect of breaches of ESCAS. In addition, as we know, we encourage third parties also to provide appropriate information to the regulator in respect of any breaches of ESCAS. That has occurred on occasion, and we encourage any person who is aware of animal welfare breaches of ESCAS to bring those to the attention of the relevant regulator when they can. We also encourage, right across the industry plus the range of animal welfare groups out there, that, if they are aware of animal welfare breaches throughout the supply chain, they should make those available to the regulator so the regulator can investigate those circumstances, take that on board and provide appropriate regulatory response to those issues.

To provide some background, MLA is a research and development corporation. (Time expired)

Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Considering the failure of MLA staff to report the ESCAS breach, what requirements or arrangements do you have in place? Or are you considering introducing for government funded agencies such as MLA and LiveCorp reporting of any problems with the ESCAS system when they are in importing countries?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Rhiannon for her first supplementary question. First, I do not accept the premise of her question. I will outline. MLA is an independent research and development corporation. The government's involvement with MLA is to provide assistance to the extent of their research and development work, which is 0.5 of the work that they do. It is not a representative body for the meat industry. It provides a range of marketing and research and development work for the industry. In doing that, it does have overseas interests to ensure marketing is done and to ensure that the appropriate meat industry is represented in those markets. Second, if there are breaches in ESCAS, as I indicated, they or anyone else who sees breaches in ESCAS should bring them to the attention of the regulator.

Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Considering you have previously said the system of regulation works and we can identify breaches, how can you achieve this when MLA representatives have said that it is not their role to report ESCAS breaches?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Rhiannon for her second supplementary question. I reiterate: if there are breaches of ESCAS or anyone comes across breaches of ESCAS then both the regulator and any third party can bring them to the attention of the independent regulator. I then reject the premise in her question. If MLA has information in respect of any breach then I would expect them to provide that to the independent regulator. I have full confidence that that would be the course of action they would take if they saw any breaches. Like Animals Australia, the RSPCA or the companies themselves that are involved in the live animal export industry, they bring to the attention of the regulator where there has been a breach. They voluntarily provide that. Why? Because they support animal welfare outcomes. They support the ESCAS being put in place. They want to ensure that this trade continues to have a bright future. Unlike the Greens, who would see this industry decimated— (Time expired)