Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

The incorporated speech read as follows—

Australia needs a clear capacity to know what is Australian about the food they buy. Australians need the capacity to quickly and concisely make decisions about the food they buy.

Australians do not want to be misled or confused with labelling that is deliberately obtuse. Australians want to know how much of the product is Australian and how much of the processing and manufacturing is Australian.

The first issue Australians want is to know is whether the food comes from an Australian farm or what proportion comes from Australian farm.

Secondly, was the product fully manufactured in Australia or what proportion was manufactured in Australia? Australians want the choice, but they can’t make the choice with out clear information to identify the origin of the products we purchase and consume and what portion that product is attributed to Australian processing.

Currently we have the capacity to advise expiry dates and daily price changes which is appropriate. We are bombarded with a myriad of information about the nutritive content of products and their relative ingredients, but what we want to know is whether the product came from Australia, which is not clear.

If people want to deliberately make labelling obtuse, then that in itself shows that labelling is important. When people try to avoid clear labelling then they are fearful of the knowledge that will be released to consumers in Australia.

Not all of the produce originates from our nation, but we should be knowledgeable of what product comes from where and be able to base our purchasing preferences on clear information. This nation needs to develop a system of labelling that is obvious and easily understood.

From my research and the feedback to my office, most Australians do not know what the terms “Made in Australia”, “Product of Australia” or “Made in Australia from Local and Imported Ingredients” even mean, let alone being able to comprehend the differentiation between those terms. There is real consumer and producer concern over this labelling confusion.

Therefore we need to remove the confusion and develop a form of identification that clearly show what product is truly Australian in origin or what proportion of the product comes from this nation.

We refer this matter to an enquiry as the issue of food labelling is complicated and involves a whole range of groups and bodies with varying interests. It is important that we commence a process to reform food labelling definitions and standards.

This Food Standards Amendment (Truth in Labelling Laws) Bill is not a fait accompli, but what is before the Chamber today is the commencement of a process that will initiate thought and process to develop clear and consistent food labelling in Australia.

I commend this Bill to the Senate.

Debate adjourned.