Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise to take note of answers, specifically the answers given to questions asked by Senators Cash and McDonald around the decision by the Labor government to allow US beef exports into Australia when those beef exports have been raised in, and imported into the US from, Canada and Mexico. To be honest, I don't really give two hoots what the Minister for Trade and Tourism said and whether he was misquoting the Prime Minister or whether the Prime Minister made a mistake and did have a conversation with Donald Trump. Let's face it: we know that it's been 266 days now since President Trump was elected, and the Prime Minister has yet to have a meeting with the President, our most important strategic partner. The Prime Minister hasn't even managed to get a meeting with him. So let's put aside who said what and when. I'm actually more concerned about the decision itself.

This is not a small deal. We can take the word of the trade minister and the Prime Minister that the decision to allow US beef into Australia, even if it was born and bred in Canada and/or Mexico, has nothing to do with the trade sanctions that have been placed on Australia by the US, nothing to do with Trump's tariffs. We can take everybody's word for it. If that is the case and if we take everybody's word for it, that's fine, but why not just have an independent review of the decision, because it's not a small deal? Everybody around the chamber has spoken about the quality of Australian beef and why it is so important. Everybody around the chamber has spoken about what an important export it is for Australia, and that is at risk when biosecurity laws change. It wasn't that long ago that the Prime Minister was up there, saying, in response to President Trump's tariffs, that we would have no changes to our biosecurity laws, and then, all of a sudden, we do. Yes, it may be a result of a 10-year review—that's fine, but let's just have an independent review of the decision so that we can rest assured and sleep easy at night knowing that there is no risk to our beef industry.

If, though, this was a decision that was prompted by the trade tariffs that were put on Australia's goods and services, then just be straight with us, because that's not the worst thing in the world either. We just want to know what the motive is. These trade sanctions, these tariffs, have massive implications for so many of our exporters. We just want to know, just want to be clear, if that was the motive. If it was the motive, I don't mind, as I said, but what did you get in return? Did you actually get a commitment from the US to lift the tariffs, and, if you didn't, why are we changing the biosecurity laws?

I heard Senator Ciccone say, 'It's because we've got a free trade agreement with the US.' Absolutely, we do, and we are good global citizens, and we abide by our free trade agreements, but the US hasn't abided by its part of the bargain on the free trade agreement, has it? So what is it that we have we given up here and for what? And what is it that we will give up next? If we haven't secured an exemption from those tariffs, what is it that we need to do next? Do we need to make changes to the PBS? Are we going to make changes to our news bargaining code and have our tummies tickled by the tech sector? Is this what the Labor government is prepared to give up to get an exemption from those tariffs? We know that there's a 50 per cent tariff on steel and aluminium, we know that there's a 10 per cent baseline tariff on all goods and services, we know that pharmaceuticals are next in the firing line, and we know that copper exporters are also facing sanctions. So, if this is the first step, that's okay, but just be straight about it.

Let's be clear: there are no second chances with Australia's biosecurity. If we have created a brand-new threat, we should be very clear about that. If, as we are told, our biosecurity is not under threat, if there is a 99.9 per cent chance that we're all okay, that still translates to a one in 1,000 chance that we're not okay. And that's something that has to be acknowledged. So, if you're going to sell us upstream with this decision, Labor, that is absolutely fine, but let's be clear about it. Let's have an independent review. That's not too much to ask. That's not too much to ask, because, even if this decision is made with a pure heart, the timing smells off. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.