Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.  In a pre-election statement released on 1 October 2004, the then National Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister, John Anderson, gave horticulturalists a promise that a coalition government would, within 100 days of being re-elected, introduce a legislative mandatory code of conduct covering all sales transactions within the fruit and vegetable industry. This statement specifically included large supermarket chains. Is the minister aware that it is now 620 days since the election? Is the minister further aware that, according to the ABS report prepared for the fair trading inquiry, Woolworths and Coles now have 77 per cent of the retail market? Since it is public knowledge that the draft proposals, in direct contravention of this express election promise, have excluded the retail chains, could the minister advise the House: (1) is it the intention of the National Party to honour their specific promise to horticulturalists and small retailers to introduce a mandatory code? (2) If so, will the code cover all parties, including the large supermarket chains, as promised? (3) When will the code be introduced?

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