Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

He who interjects most volubly, the Leader of the National Party, as the minister for agriculture reminded us yesterday, is the pioneer and perfecter of the scheme which is now being deployed. The Philippines will be required to demonstrate to Australia’s satisfaction that the risk management measures can be achieved under commercial conditions on an ongoing basis, with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service involved in ensuring compliance on the ground.

For the information of the honourable member, my advice is that the required quarantine measures include the following: first, potential exports only from areas that demonstrate low pest prevalence; second, registration of export blocks; third, inspection to detect the presence of any diseases; fourth, ongoing inspections of blocks and fruit, including by Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service inspectors; fifth, disinfection and fungicide spraying; sixth, mandatory preclearance arrangements with the presence and involvement of AQIS inspectors in the Philippines in applying quarantine conditions in the field, including in packing houses; seventh, auditing and verification by AQIS of systems and processes used by the Philippines to certify any exports; and, eighth, detailed data and documentation to be provided by the Philippines for consideration by Australia prior to any exports to verify and validate quarantine measures, underpinned by laboratory and field experiments in commercial trials. In answer to the honourable member’s question, these are the specific quarantine measures which will be applied to the decision and policy determination which has been made by Biosecurity Australia.

I also note to the House the response which was conveyed yesterday by the minister for agriculture in terms of the response from the government of the Philippines on this question. It has described our banana quarantine policy as very stringent, expensive and trade restrictive and claims it will delay any exports. The Philippine agriculture undersecretary is quoted as saying:

If the conditions are that strict, no industry can profit through exports.

The reaction from the government of the Philippines to this stipulation and the conditions attached to it has been direct and critical of the government of Australia.

I also say in response to the honourable member’s question: I take very seriously the future of the banana industry in the country. It is a significant employer not just in the honourable member’s electorate but also in parts of northern New South Wales and South-East Queensland. My father began life after the war as a banana farmer. I, therefore, through family upbringing and through relatives involved in the industry, know something of the challenges which are involved here. I would ask the honourable member to pay particular heed to the conditionalities attached to this importation determination and to the stringency associated with them.

I am prepared, because I know the honourable member takes seriously the representation of industries in his electorate, to maintain a continued dialogue with him on this process as it unfolds. I accept absolutely the bona fides of the honourable member in raising these matters in this place, and I look forward to a continued discussion with him as these conditionalities are applied to the determination which has been made to Biosecurity Australia. This is an important industry for Australia’s future which warrants the highest consideration on the part of our quarantine authorities and therefore, given the honourable member’s obvious and legitimate interest in this industry, the basis for continued dialogue and discussion with me. I thank the honourable member.

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