Craig Laundy (Reid, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

It is a pleasure, for the first time in my political career, to stand at this dispatch box and introduce my first bill into this great place. I would like to, at a personal level, thank my senior minister, Minister Hunt, for giving me this opportunity. It is greatly appreciated.

The Competition and Consumer Amendment (Country of Origin) Bill 2016 seeks to simplify and clarify the safe harbour provisions within the Australian consumer law.

This bill forms part of the government's country of origin labelling reform package that was agreed by the states and territories in March this year. A key element of this reform package, the Country of Origin Food Labelling Information Standard 2016, actuallycommenced in July this year.

Before I detail the specific amendments this bill seeks to make, please allow me to briefly elaborate the objectives of the government's country of origin labelling reform package.

The reforms aim to provide consumers with clear, more meaningful and easier to find country-of-origin information so they can make informed purchasing decisions in line with their personal preferences.

Inquiries and research conducted in recent years show that the current labelling framework is largely ineffective in meeting its objectives.

See this speech in context