Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. It is a good reminder that you cannot claim to take this issue seriously and then not try to absorb the facts. The facts are that inspecting standards in an abattoir is a vital part of getting the trade back up and running, absolutely—but it is only one part. The other part we have to have in place is the ability to track cattle as they leave Australia and go into Indonesia. The trade does not work on the basis that you move seamlessly from a part of Australia into an Indonesian abattoir. Animals go via feedlots; cons­equently, we need a tracking system that works from Australia, through the journey, into the feedlots and into the abattoirs where animals are ultimately dealt with. Con­sequently, we can then ensure that Australian cattle are ending up in the abattoirs where the standards are appropriate.

I note that the Leader of the National Party has been talking about tracking systems in recent days. He has been extolling the virtues of the National Livestock Identification System—

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