Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this afternoon to speak on an issue that is important not just to my electorate, not just to rural and regional Australia but to all Australians—that is, the issue of our food security. Too often we hear platitudes and too often we see politicians decked out in their brand-new, dustless Akubras and open-necked shirts going out into rural and regional areas trying to get nice Australian type photos; but, when it comes to making real decisions about securing not only Australia’s food supply but the survival and, in fact, growth of rural and regional Australia, too often we have seen a lack of action. I have a particular passion for this issue. As a young mother soon to have her family grow I am concerned about the future of this nation. What sort of country do we want to live in? Do we want to live in a country where we import all our food? Do we want to live in a country where we import all our manufactured goods? I would say no. But we need to start now. We are at the crossroads.

In this instance, looking at one particular industry, the apple industry, I have met with local growers in my electorate who are extremely concerned about the very serious potential of importing diseases. I certainly share this concern, as do many people on this side of the House. We are pest free in this industry and we have a distinct product to sell. We have seen the area lose many farmers and many workers. There is also this concern: if our green, clean agricultural industries are battered with unfair imports, which could quite possibly contain a variety of exotic diseases, what incentive are we giving to our hardworking farmers? What are we saying to them and their families? We are not saying, ‘Thank you;’ we are not saying, ‘You’ve done a great job.’ What we as a nation are saying is: ‘Too bad; we’re still going to allow the importation of these, possibly, diseased fruit.’

I want the government to actually listen to the concerns of industry, rather than fob them off and not do the hard work of considering potential consequences. Once we import any one of these exotic diseases we have Buckley’s of trying to get rid of it. The industry is worth a significant amount of money to regions, it is worth a significant amount of money to our agricultural sector and the Labor Party is, unfortunately, playing Russian roulette with our nation’s quarantine and border security. I join the shadow minister for agriculture in questioning the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as to how hard he has fought to appeal against any adverse findings regarding the importation of apples from China. I am not sure whether he has fought too hard. I suppose he now has a lot of responsibilities, with the issue of population as well, but he should not forget that he is dealing not just with the sustainability of a population but with the sustainability of the agricultural sector.

What contingency plans does the minister have to deal with any outbreak of, say, fire blight? What plans are in place? I do not think there are many, because I do not think the minister has given this matter due consideration. I do not think he has looked into the eyes of these apple growers and said, ‘I’ve done my very best to protect you.’ I have written to the minister requesting that he meet with my apple growers to hear firsthand from them not only their expertise but also their critique of the current quarantine system and the current assessments that have been made about the importation of foreign apples into Australia.

Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Indi and I am sure that all honourable members will join with me in giving the member for Indi and her husband, Greg, every best wish with respect to the forthcoming birth of their second child.