Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Acting Deputy President Polley, it's good to see you and my other colleagues here again, in the 47th Parliament.

Today I decided to make a contribution in the Senate on the topic of foot-and-mouth disease, which is obviously a very serious issue impacting the agriculture industry but also our economy nationally. Foot-and-mouth disease has been getting a lot of attention in the media, and for good reason. But there has also been a lot of attention in our political debate. It presents a very huge and devastating threat to one of our most significant components of the Australian economy—our ag industry. The estimated initial cost of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, if it were to occur here in Australia, would be around $80 billion—that's been recent estimates—not to mention the immense personal cost on individuals in agriculture, particularly our farmers.

Australians are already intensely aware of the supply chain disruptions of the past two years during COVID. There is a lot of valid concern out in our community about the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak that is currently being seen, and the Australian government is working very closely with our friends in Indonesia. This outbreak does require a very serious but mature response, and that's why the Albanese Labor government has taken several measures to date to strengthen our biosecurity on our border. I'll run through just a few for the benefit of the Senate.

First, we've increased screening in our airports and mail centres. Second, we've reviewed the import permits for Indonesian products that are at risk of carrying foot-and-mouth disease. Third, there's been specific advice about biosecurity responsibilities that has played on every plane coming into Australia from Indonesia. Fourth is direct support to the Indonesian government to purchase vaccines to control the outbreak. Fifth is additional funding for Meat & Livestock Australia to coordinate industry's response to the disease. And sixth is the deployment of sanitation foot mats. It is these mats that have been delivered to all of our international airports. They are operational in Melbourne, Perth, Darwin, Sydney, Adelaide, Cairns and Brisbane for passengers entering from Indonesia, and there will be other airports that will soon also receive these mats.

In another step in the strongest biosecurity response Australia has ever seen, the Albanese government is also screening every single piece of mail that is arriving from both Indonesia and China. We are serious about combating the biggest risk of foot-and-mouth disease coming here: imported and infected meat products. This has never been done on such a scale by any previous Australian government, despite past outbreaks. It's all part of our strongest biosecurity response in history.

But what has been disappointing is how the National Party have played politics with this outbreak, especially the one recently broken out in Indonesia.