Peter McGauran (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. As was announced on Sunday, 10 September, meetings will be held with fruit and vegetable growers and wholesale representatives to develop an enforceable code of conduct for the industry. The key aim is to develop a code, enforceable by law, that will provide growers with a transparency of contracts that many currently do not have. The government is determined to have a code that includes minimum terms of trade that are transparent and enforceable in law. Growers have the right to know whether the wholesaler is acting as an agent or a merchant prior to the sale. Other aspects being worked on as part of this process include an effective dispute resolution mechanism and the provision of clear market signals on price.

Growers, as well as those in the whole supply chain, including wholesalers and fresh markets, know who is acting in their best interests. They know who are the friends of producers as well as small business—the coalition parties, not the Labor Party.

See this speech in context