Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

There are three erroneous statements in that question, at least. I'll go to the third one. In relation to beef, I would make the point that we have gone through a rigorous, science based, risk based assessment over the last decade. The process for this was in fact commenced under the coalition government. The announcement does allow for expanded access to include beef sourced from cattle born in Canada or Mexico which is legally imported and slaughtered in the United States. The decision is consistent with what we said all along: we will not compromise on biosecurity. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is satisfied that the strengthened control methods put in place by the US effectively manage biosecurity risks. We stand for open and fair trade, and Australia's cattle industry has benefited from this. (Time expired)