Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Colbeck for his question. The work of the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation is second to none in this area. The opposition know that. Perhaps it is worthwhile explaining how it works. What we have is a board that has terms of office. They do come up and they do need to be reappointed. We do need to go through selection processes to make sure we have the best available people for those jobs. Of course, today we have signed off under the PIERD Act the reappointment of the new board so that it can fulfil its duties. Why? Because it is important work that they undertake under the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation. Research and development corporations do play a vital role in sustainability, competitiveness and productivity growth of Australian rural industries. These are important boards that play a vital role under the PIERD Act. (Time expired)