Stirling Griff (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator McKenzie, representing the Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia. Three years ago more than 100 dogs died as a result of eating a particular brand of dry dog food. Since then, no effective action has been taken. Now—in fact, in recent weeks—there's been a spate of dog deaths linked to tainted raw pet meat. Pet owners have been waiting for more than three years, since the last Senate inquiry that I instigated, to see action on pet food safety. We had been advised that the report of the minister's pet food working group would be considered by state agriculture ministers last month, and now it seems that this won't happen until next month—maybe. Minister, why have agriculture ministers still not met to discuss this report? What is the delay? And why isn't there more urgency, given that we keep having more dog deaths while we wait?