Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Somebody said Kuridala does not exist anymore. Yes, it does not exist anymore. The Kuridala CWA ladies could put in a bid to do the biosecurity contract for next year, because if all you are ever going to do is say yes we could have a flock of galahs doing it.

There is citrus canker, which cost the state of Queensland and other parts of Australia nearly $100 million; the papaya fruit fly outbreak, which cost $120 million; the black sigatoka banana disease, which cost us over $100 million; and swine flu, which people everywhere are suffering. All of these diseases come in. This legislation is asking for a document that says to the Australian people what the ramifications of this decision are, so the government will then know what action they can, should and must take, in my opinion. I might add that, in the case of bananas, the pineapple industry will vanish and the backpacker industry in Far North Queensland, upon which our great tourism industry in Far North Queensland is based, will vanish as well. That will be 10,000 jobs. Mr Acting Speaker, we are allowed to introduce specific tariffs if the necessity arises.

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