Cory Bernardi (SA, Australian Conservatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia representing the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. Almost three years ago today, the Senate supported my motion for an inquiry into third-party food certification. The inquiry reported on 1 December 2015 and significantly focused on the scams and rorts within the halal certification industry, recommending that a single halal certification authority be created. This echoed a 1981 royal commission finding into the meat export industry, recommending an official Australian government certificate and stamp for halal slaughter certification in Australia. The inquiry identified that bribery, corruption, dodgy certificates and crooked dealings are endemic in the halal certification industry. Given these actions are a cost borne by Australian companies and consumers, why is the government continuing 37 years of inaction on halal certification, leaving Australians open to rip-offs and unnecessary additional costs?

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bernardi for his question. The government does take its role in this area of food certification very seriously. With regard to some of the issues that Senator Bernardi has raised, the federal government has responsibility for the export of products that contain a halal certification. I add that many of the recommendations in the Senate inquiry on the issue of third-party certification went to issues that relate to state and territory governments.

I reject the assertion from Senator Bernardi that the government are not taking action or doing anything to respond to the Senate inquiry or the issues that were raised therein. We have asked the legislative and governance committee for states and territories to look at this matter and the monitoring and enforcement of third-party certification. We've also asked the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation to look at their role in potentially responding to the Senate inquiry. We are working with industry to look at any amendments that may be needed to the export controls which we are responsible for at the federal government level.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bernardi, do you have a supplementary question?

Cory Bernardi (SA, Australian Conservatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I do. In my home state of South Australia, an Adelaide mosque's own records indicate that it earns $200,000 a year from halal certification, and yet, by their own admission, the cost to operate that process is just $300. If this government is committed to removing red tape, and given the scams in this industry, will the government accredit one national certifier funded by a cost recovery, rather than allow the racketeers to profit at the expense of every Australian?

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, I thank Senator Bernardi for his question. I can't comment on any individual cases that Senator Bernardi has raised. I don't have information about them, but I should note that in the government's response to the Senate inquiry it noted that a review in 2011 had found that halal certification did not add materially to the costs for consumers of products in Australia. I would also add that it's very important that Australia maintains market access for red meat to other countries. There are complications in the sense that different countries and, indeed, different customers within those countries sometimes have different requirements, so I don't necessarily think it is as simple as Senator Bernardi has presented it. But, as I indicated in my answer to the first question, the government does takes these matters seriously and is working with industry to improve the monitoring and enforcement of the regime.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bernardi, a final supplementary question.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Australian Conservatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The reverse tariff barriers that the minister has referred to as different requirements for individual countries contravene and undermine the entire method of free trade. They also undermine the findings of the 2015 Senate inquiry and those of the 1981 royal commission that a single official Australian government certificate and stamp for halal slaughter certification in Australia be enacted. When will the government take meaningful actions to save Australians and install such a certification?

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again I reject the assertion the government is not taking action in this area. To clarify the answer I gave earlier: it's not just the countries involved; it's also the customers in the industry. Obviously, we don't sell red meat to countries; we sell red meat to overseas customers. It's something the government is taking seriously and making sure it works through it in a methodical way.