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

This is an important issue. We do have within DAFF a very strong biosecurity section but ultimately biosecurity for domestic issues, as Senator McKenzie should know, does fall within state responsibility. I can say, with some encouragement, that we do have a framework in place that the state and territory ministers signed off at the last COAG meeting. Why? Because it is incredibly important that we do deal broadly with biosecurity issues such as those involved in pre-border, border and post-border incursions.

I am not sure that the tenor of the question was worrying about biosecurity; in fact, I think it was worrying more about outcomes. Farm Finance is one of those outcomes that will help producers. Perhaps Senator McKenzie could put her shoulder to the wheel—I have asked Senator Macdonald to do it. Nobody has responded and said yes yet. (Time expired)