Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Corio for his further questions buried in the stream of invective that I have just heard. I will try to address where I can the specific points that he has raised and of course other things may be taken on notice. I will start with quarantine and with what I think is a quite unreasonable criticism of the government. We do take quarantine seriously, continuing to protect the favourable health status of our important agricultural industries and access to world markets for our products. There have been progressive increases in quarantine funding totalling more than $1.3 billion since 1996. We have strengthened quarantine measures pre and post border and we now have one of the most extensive quarantine systems in the world, as we should. Increased resources allow us to look harder for quarantine risks. It is inevitable that there will be further quarantine detections, and I think that is in itself a sign of success.

The member for Corio raised the issue of Marnic. I understand that an application from Marnic for compensation is currently under review by an independent process within the federal department of agriculture, so it is inappropriate for me to comment given that this review process is under way. A reviewer is liaising with Marnic to properly assess and determine the merits of the claim.

I should make the point that quarantine is not just about what may be coming into Australia or leaving Australia’s shores; it is about the future. It is about being prepared for pests and diseases that we may not even know about and for bioterrorism that might strike at any time. With this in mind the government has given a $16 million budget boost to pest and disease preparedness, widening the scope of the Enhancing Animal Health Infrastructure Program. We need to and we will access new technologies and science based risk assessment methodologies, support research into prevention and detection methods, educate and train people on the frontline and create an awareness of the importance of viable animal and plant health infrastructure. Further evidence of Australia strengthening its current quarantine arrangements are initiatives increasing Biosecurity Australia’s capacity to verify claims made by exporting countries, developing better systems and processes, monitoring and reviewing quarantine policies and protocols and on-the-ground overseas assessments more rigorously.

The member for Corio also mentioned the government’s mandatory code of conduct. He referred to a previous election commitment. Yes, on 23 September 2004 the government stated that a re-elected coalition government would, as a last resort, put in place ‘a new mandatory code of conduct specifically tailored for the grower/markets section of the horticulture supply chain’. The government’s commitment to introduce a horticulture code of conduct is currently under close consideration. A decision is expected shortly. The development of the code has involved extensive consultation with stakeholders, which is required as part of our regulatory impact assessment process. The government recognises that developing a code is a complex process and will make every effort to ensure that it is practical, has minimal compliance costs and best balances the interests of all parties. I think the member for Corio would agree that a voluntary code will do this more successfully than a mandatory code. The key issues being considered by the government include the coverage of the code, the nature of the trading arrangements, flexibility and the compliance costs.

The member for Corio finished, as I shall, with the issue of illegal fishing. In its recent budget the government effectively doubled the apprehension rate of illegal foreign fishing vessels in Australia’s northern waters. Funding of the order of $388 million will be provided over four years to support initiatives to deter illegal fishing in our northern waters and to ensure our northern fisheries are secure and biosecurity is sustained. Over $233 million will be provided to effectively more than double our apprehensions of illegal foreign fishing vessels each year and to manage the downstream process related to the transfer, detention, prosecution and repatriation of apprehended illegal foreign fishers.

I believe that significantly answers the criticisms that the member for Corio has made. There is no doubt that under these measures we will be able to provide for the purchase of a fast-response vessel for use in the northern Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, accelerate the survey and chartering program within the Torres Strait, increase surveillance by Coastwatch aircraft, undertake efforts to bring forward the replacement of the Australian Customs marine fleet and undertake further initiatives in Indonesia to deter illegal foreign fishing operations at their source.

Proposed expenditure agreed to.

Attorney-General’s Portfolio

Proposed expenditure, $3,349,480,000.

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