Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

I am sure that all the ex-union executives have the answer to everything, and we may well hear their response shortly. At the end of the day, what this legislation will do, which is what we are looking to support—

Mr Shorten interjecting—

I suppose there is a brumby in Victoria that you would want to put down very quickly, but that is not something that you could recommend here. The response levy will provide for the Commonwealth to transfer funds to the Australian Animal Health Council, the AAHC. This will be part of the horse disease response levy collection, which this bill does address. It replaces the existing subsection and provides that the AAHC has an obligation to apply a Commonwealth payment in accordance with priorities. The following are the priorities under the existing subsection: the first priority is to reimburse the AAHC for costs that the council incurs; the second priority is to discharge liabilities by non-government bodies to the Commonwealth under EADRA; and the third priority is the ability to make payments to research and development organisations or to promote and maintain the health of animals. That is very important because there has to be a strategy put in place so that, if a disease outbreak occurs again, we can deal with such a widespread emergency.

At the end of the day, unlike those on other side, we do not just sign blank cheques and go along with thin ideas. Even after having thought about it for some time, the government has come back with nothing better, sadly. As a result, we are going to put some flesh on this legislation and make sure that it can be recommended as fair and equitable. I am sure those on the other side will want things to be fair and equitable.

The proposed legislation enables funds to be raised directly from the horse industry in order to repay the Commonwealth for any future emergency. The idea is, in principle, good, but the collection mechanism is flawed. I commend this bill but not the collection method. We need to get on with making sure that there is a proper plan in place for the future. This is very important for the future of all the equine industries in Australia and for the biosecurity of Australia.

See this speech in context