Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Can the minister confirm that, prior to the 2004 election, the government promised to introduce legislation for a mandatory horticulture code of conduct within 100 days of the election? Did this not match a commitment that Labor had already given fruit and vegetable growers some months earlier? Didn’t the Deputy Prime Minister say on 1 October 2004 that the horticulture code was necessary to give small producers a better deal in disputes with big produce buyers, including the large supermarkets? Is it not the case that many fruit and vegetable growers remain disadvantaged in their dealings with produce buyers, including the supermarket chains, because of the government’s failure to deliver on its promise? Why has the government betrayed Australia’s 20,000 fruit and vegetable growers?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator O’Brien is very wisely off the topic of forests today and hiding in the area of horticulture. I think he is well advised to be asking questions about horticulture as opposed to forestry. I can inform the honourable senator and all those senators over there, if they are willing to listen, that, whilst the government is still working through the detail of the horticulture code, it is committed to improving the day-to-day relationships between fruit and vegetable growers and wholesalers by providing greater certainty and clarity for transactions. It remains clear that there need to be minimum terms of trade that are transparent and enforceable in law. Growers have the right to know prior to the sale whether the wholesaler is acting as an agent or a merchant. Other aspects that are being worked on as part of this process include an effective dispute resolution mechanism and the provision of clear market signals on price. In short, I say to the honourable senator: watch this space. The government will be making its announcement on the determination very shortly.

Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Why has it taken the government more than the 100 days that it promised fruit and vegetable growers it would take to produce this code, given that we are now well into the second year of this government? Why has the government ignored the pleas from the likes of Senator Boswell, Senator Joyce, Senator Heffernan, the member for Hinkler, the member for Mallee, the member for Blair and the member for Hume, urging that the promised code be delivered? How much longer do fruit and vegetable growers have to wait before the government actually does what it promised to do within 100 days of the election? When will the government deliver on its promise?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is one very simple answer as to why it has taken so long. Those on the opposite side would suggest that that is a negative. In fact, something I was able to say earlier today in a debate with Senator Ludwig was that we as a government pride ourselves on the basis of the degree of consultation that we have with the community at large. So when we delay, from time to time, we use that delay, so-called, to consult. It is more important that we get these things right as opposed to abiding by some artificial timetable. The other thing that is very interesting in Senator O’Brien’s question is that he talked about all the coalition members agitating for this horticultural code of conduct. Not a single Labor member’s name was mentioned. We know where the interest in this topic is: it is on this side of the chamber. Those on that side simply use it for political purposes.

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.