Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of all answers to coalition questions asked today.

I want to focus on the questions related to the lifting of the biosecurity restrictions. There are two key points that I want to address in taking note of the answers given to those questions. The first one relates to the answer that Senator Farrell gave in relation to having to correct the record, and the second relates to the significant industry matters that are occurring right now for farmers right across this country. We know farmers are distressed and very concerned about this government's handling of all things agricultural, and certainly when it comes to the live export and key industries like sheep and beef—as I know, in Western Australia.

Initially, regarding what we've seen with Senator Farrell's answer to the question about the contradicting information that was provided to the Prime Minister, maybe Senator Farrell wishes, like we all do, that the Prime Minister was able to have a conversation with the President of the United States. In giving the answer that he gave earlier in an interview, he was hoping, like all of us, that the Prime Minister would have direct conversations with the President of the United States, but we know that's not happening. We wish the government well in that regard because it is important to Australia's position to be able to have that direct dialogue with the United States—our most important international partner, a relationship that we must foster and develop. But it is concerning when there is this conflicting information at very senior levels of government. It's not just a backbencher getting something wrong here—this is the trade minister misrepresenting the information and misrepresenting the reality of what was actually occurring. It's good that he has corrected the record but, nonetheless, it is concerning that those sorts of facts aren't front of mind. We know that there haven't been conversations directly between the Prime Minister and the United States.

This issue of lifting the biosecurity restrictions is very concerning because the quality of our beef is held in internationally high regard, and we've got to make sure that is maintained. We are the envy of the world when it comes to our biosecurity of our beef here in this country. We are able to export it across the world because of those very high standards, and to see those standards undermined by any sort of watering down is incredibly concerning. This is why we should have an inquiry into this. We should understand fully all the information that was provided and that was used to make a determination as to whether or not this is a sensible thing to do. I would urge the government to consider getting behind the coalition's request for an inquiry into this matter, because we need to ensure integrity. We need to ensure that our system holds integrity. Without the government going along with that and opening themselves up and being fully transparent then we can't be sure. Who is to say that we don't undermine our standards and see a situation where this enviable position that we currently have across the world is undermined. We have already seen the impact and the cost that would have in my home state of Western Australia, with the absolute breaking of the hearts of farmers across the state in relation to the live export ban on sheep. We've seen their hearts broken, and I know you know very well, Deputy President Brockman, as a fellow Western Australian senator, the impact that that is happening. Well, if we see an undermining of the beef industry in Western Australia—and, indeed, right across the country—that would be devastating. We know that this government doesn't have a good track record. We know that the previous time they were in government, under prime ministers Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd, they had a devastating impact on beef with their illegal implementation of those— (Time expired)