House debates

Monday, 15 March 2010

Constituency Statements

Page Electorate: Campaigns

4:27 pm

Photo of Janelle SaffinJanelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I represent the electorate of Page, and the active communities across my electorate regularly raise a number of issues and priorities with me. Today I take the opportunity to put on the record issues impacting and affecting my electorate. The community’s priorities are my priorities. I may not be able to mention all them that I want to in three minutes, but I will see how I go.

There are two issues that many members of the community are passionately opposed to. The first is live animal exports. Three points are most often raised with me about the live export industry. One is the inhumane treatment of animals on ships and at their destination. Another is that by exporting live animals we are missing opportunities for local abattoirs, and I have the Northern Meat Co-operative Company in my area. The last is that it is not necessary, as members of Jordan’s royal family, two princesses in particular, have made abundantly clear.

There is a strong antiwhaling campaign in Page. There is support for the government’s diplomatic efforts with Japan to get them to cease and for the legal case, coming by year’s end, if diplomatic efforts do not bear fruit. There is support for Sea Shepherd and others who work to stop Japanese whaling in the southern ocean.

Consumers—that means us—are entitled to know what they are buying. This is so with beef. I have been working on this issue with the New South Wales member for Northern Tablelands, Richard Torbay. I held a forum in Lismore which I got him to come to so that we could talk about truth in labelling. I have met with our federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Tony Burke, on that. I also welcome the federal minister’s risk import analysis for the importation of beef from countries that have been affected by BSE. That has strong support in my local area. When the Deputy Prime Minister was in my area, Brenda Bryant and Anne Thompson, two local farmers, were able to meet her and give her a letter on this issue.

The other issue is the cosmetics industry. I have been looking into the issue of the chemicals used in the cosmetics sold in Australia and have been appalled by what I have found. There needs to be a broader investigation into the safety of the chemicals used in cosmetics. I have a book called The A-Z of Chemicals in the Home. It really is appalling that there are some poisons in things that we use on our bodies. Women use a lot of cosmetics and some of them appear to be cancer causing. I noticed in a New South Wales Sunday paper an op ed written by Lee Rhiannon, a member of the New South Wales parliament, on this issue.

Health is my No. 1 priority and it is an issue in my electorate. I have spoken many times—(Time expired)

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! In accordance with standing order 193 the time for constituency statements has concluded.