Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

Having inherited a set of laws by a previous government, for which some members if it now seek to blame us and complain about, we have taken steps to try to address this issue, because we do believe it is important in terms of the changes that are being made that consumers know where they are getting their beef from. What we are doing by way of the protocols is ensuring that the meat that comes in is 100 per cent free of BSE. Those are the standards that have been determined and guaranteed by the head of Food Standards Australia. Those are the protocols. We have risk assessments in place that will ensure that that guarantee can be met, and we are also looking at what relevant changes can be made to the labelling laws so that consumers can have a better fix than they currently have of where beef products come from.

It seems to me in all of those circumstances that not only have we approached this in a comprehensive way; we have approached it in a consultative way. We have approached it in a way that has tried to deal with reason and sensible argument and concern. What we can never deal with are people who fly off the handle, interrupt meetings and pull stunts in the name of—as the Cattle Council says—striking fear into consumers and undermining the future of the industry. Those people should be condemned. I am happy to try to address the concerns that are legitimately raised. I am not going to deal with people who fly off the handle. (Time expired)

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