Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

No, I am not. My time is being wasted in terms of my opportunity to speak on this matter. It is interesting that neither did the National Party's 2000 election platform make any financial provision for the continuation of that rebate. The Nationals had entrenched a cumbersome certification system and agreed to provide transitional funds to extend the rebate until 30 June 2011 whilst developing reforms to enable industry and AQIS to introduce efficiencies to become more internationally competitive. That is typical of the National Party in government. As far as Australia's biosecurity system was concerned they were all talk and no action. When the leader of the Nationals was at the cabinet table he agreed to sell off all of Australia's post entry quarantine facilities, stripping hundreds of millions of dollars out of a future budget.

I repeat it will cost the Australian taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars to reinstate Australia's post entry quarantine facilities sold by the leader of the Nationals with no regard for changes in land use, no plan for maintaining and apparently no regret for putting Australia's agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries, Australia's research community and Australia's medical practitioners without a guarantee of continued access to the best genetic resources in the world.

Since he became the spokesman, the member for Calare has not provided one suggestion for how Australia could improve its quarantine and biosecurity system. He has not secured one single dollar in the shadow cabinet to reform Australia's quarantine system in the way it needs to be. It is all right to come into this place and argue for changes, but I suggest that the first place he should argue for those changes and secure them is within his own party room. He has not done that. He simply came here quite clearly as a stunt to try and appease people in his own electorate. As usual, the Liberal Nationals left the hard work of reform to the Labor Party. Not only is the Labor Party delivering, we are doing a better job than those opposite could do.

In December 2009, the Labor government commenced the $127.8 million export certification reform package to develop a modern export certification system that maintains Australia's reputation as a producer of high-quality safe food products. The government established six task forces to develop and deliver reforms and efficiencies to the system. If the member for Calare wants to find out about this legitimate costs of government then he need only visit the departmental website where he will find a report which the department commissioned as agreed by the former minister—that is, Minister Burke. It is an independent review of AQIS fees and charges. If those opposite want an update on the progress of all of those activities of the task forces they need simply visit the department's website. It is all there for them to see.

Meanwhile the Gillard government is getting on with the business of implementing better government service delivery for Australia's food exporters. A fortnight ago, the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Australian Meat Industry Council announced the commencement of the Australian export meat inspection system together with up to $25.8 million in funding to support the transition to the new system. The Gillard government will continue to provide the most cost effective flexible export certification system that can be implemented whilst maintaining export market confidence. The Gillard government is getting on with the job of improving service delivery and jobs in regional Australia.

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