Jim Turnour (Leichhardt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the motion concerning the importation of bananas. This is a very serious issue, and it is an issue of particular importance to the region that I represent—Leichhardt and tropical North Queensland. I see the member for Kennedy, who is from that part of the world, in the chamber. I look forward to his contribution because he is very clear on this matter. He does not change his point of view, and he stands by what he says. His position is very different from that of the National Party. The member for Cowper spoke on this motion prior to me. It was the National Party who started this process back in 2000. It was their idea. It was the National Party, who, when in government, were working through and implementing this import risk assessment. We have picked up the National Party process and have continued on with it. That is the reality of being in government.

I do not seek to move around on this issue. What I seek to do is outline the situation of the import risk assessment and the quarantine system in this country. The reality is that the National Party are political opportunists. They do not actually represent or stand for anything. When they were in government, they were like mice on this issue. Now that they are in opposition they are like elephants on the issue, stomping around the place and wanting to make a big noise, but they did nothing while in government. They did not deliver anything. I can assure members that this government has moved through the process. It has recognised that the import risk assessment process needs to be scientific. We went back and made sure that the bar was raised significantly higher than the import risk assessment established under the previous government—and the bar is now significantly higher.

Like the member for Kennedy, I do not want to see bananas imported into this country. I do not want to see that, but the reality is that we export sugar, which also comes from tropical North Queensland. And we export beef and wheat. We are out there in the international community arguing that countries should open up their markets. We cannot make the simple statement that we are not going to accept bananas from the Philippines while we are out there arguing for our wheat, beef, wool and sugar to be exported to other countries. We need to make sure that our scientifically based quarantine inspection process is properly run and assessed, and that is what the government is seeking to do.

I come from a rural background. I was born on a property in the Territory. My parents grew bananas around the Adelaide River. When I was a kid, we sent the bananas to Darwin to be sold. That is how my mum and dad made a quid. I have packed bananas. I have worked in a banana packing shed. I have been down to Innisfail and Tully—the areas that Mr Katter represents—to help people there to clean up after tropical Cyclone Larry. I have great empathy and great passion for the industry. I do not have many banana farmers in my electorate—maybe none—but I do know that it is an important economic driver for the community that I represent. It supports a range of different people—local Indigenous people and other local community people. It also supports tourists from all around the world who come to Australia to backpack around the country and to work in the local communities. It is an important industry and it drives my local economy.

I recognise that there is real risk from banana imports from the Philippines, but we cannot just say no. We need to work through properly established quarantine processes and laws. That is what the government is doing. Minister Burke also appreciates the situation. I have written and spoken to him about it and he has responded to the issues that I have raised. The government appreciates and understands the concerns of banana growers who want to ensure that their industry remains free of pests and diseases. This is why the Australian Director of Animal and Plant Quarantine has established a stringent quarantine policy for the importation of bananas from the Philippines that is consistent with Australia’s conservative approach to quarantine. The Philippines will be required to demonstrate to Australia’s satisfaction that the risk management measures set out in the determination can be achieved under commercial conditions on an ongoing basis before trade can commence. AQIS officers will be applying Australian quarantine conditions in the field, including inspecting, verifying and auditing processes in the Philippines both before and during the export of bananas. In addition, the Philippines will need to undertake laboratory and field experiments prior to exports occurring.

Australian quarantine inspectors need to go to the Philippines and they need to ensure that our quarantine standards are met. We do not want to see bananas imported into this country, but we cannot just say no. We have got to go through a proper quarantine process. We have raised the bar very, very high, and I do not think that we will see bananas imported into this country. But we cannot say no; we have got to go through appropriate quarantine processes.

This motion has been moved by the National Party, but I do not think there are any Nats north of Bundaberg anymore. This is supposedly a party that represents rural and regional Australia but cannot win a seat up in North Queensland. It does not represent too any people in rural and regional Queensland. We have a Liberal up in Herbert, Mr Lindsay; we have got an Independent, Mr Katter; and we have got the member for Flynn, the member for Dawson and the member for Capricornia—who are all good Labor Party members. Like me up in Leichhardt, they are looking to represent rural and regional Australia. The National Party are opportunists. They do not actually seek to do things in government; they seek to take opportunities and they do not actually stand for anything. But we do.

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