Alannah Mactiernan (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Twenty great jobs in the biotech industry in Bunbury have been lost following a problematic investigation by the Department of Agriculture. I am deeply concerned that the department is drawing out this inquiry and blocking the business from restarting. The claim of the Department of Agriculture to be continuing to investigate Serana and other companies is called into question by the investigation costs given in yesterday's Senate estimates. In November 2014, parliament was advised that the total cost of the investigation to date was $237,435, but yesterday the cost for the investigation was given as $239,285. In the past six months less than $2,000 has been spent on the alleged continuing investigation.

I am concerned that this investigation which started in September 2013 is being kept alive so that the department will not have to face the fact that a company has been destroyed and no evidence found to support a prosecution. Obviously if less than $2,000 has been spent in six months the idea that there is a real investigation on foot cannot be seriously entertained. The parallel universe mentality of department officials was brought home yesterday when they said there is nothing stopping the company from trading when Serana's reputation has been so comprehensively trashed by the way the investigation has been conducted. We need this investigation to be brought to a conclusion so this business can restart. (Time expired)