Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

The opposition opposes items (1) and (2) on sheet 5312 in the following terms:

(1)    Schedule 1, page 3 (line 2) to page 6 (line 15), TO BE OPPOSED.

(2)    Schedules 3 to 6, page 8 (line 2) to page 41 (line 23), TO OPPOSED.

Labor remain of the view that this legislation package is a shambles. It is clear now that there has not been adequate consultation with growers. It is clear that, in respect of some of the provisions, there was not adequate consultation with the Grains Council before reference to them was removed from the legislation. Labor would have sympathy for a number of provisions in this legislation, but we have no confidence in the totality of the package. We do not seek to oppose schedule 2, which is the extension of the veto power, consistent with all we have said, but we believe that the rest of this bill should be set aside. The government could reintroduce legislation—indeed, a committee could inquire into these measures and report by the resumption of the Senate in August, when these matters could be properly dealt with. That remains our view; hence we feel it would be inappropriate not to oppose these schedules.