Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to begin by thanking the member for Longman for her very sincere comments and support for the industry, and the opposition generally for supporting this bill, the Criminal Code Amendment (Food Contamination) Bill 2018. I rise today to support the hardworking strawberry growers across our nation but also in my electorate of O'Connor—people like Len and Neil Handasyde, whose family strawberry operations at Albany and Mount Barker employ dozens of people and inject a huge amount of money into the local economies, but also our larger growers in the Pemberton-Manjimup region, along the Channybearup Road, one of the richest horticultural regions in the country. Once again, they employ countless people and have a huge impact on our local economy.

The actions of a few individuals, whatever their original intentions were—whether it was to get back at the boss or whether it was a prank at the local supermarket—are nothing short of food terrorism. What they've done is strike terror into the hearts of families who are feeding their children, for the most part, a favourite fruit. In my family, it's a bit of a battle to get healthy food into my eight-year-old son, Archie, but strawberries are his favourite food and one of the things that my family relies on to keep our kids healthy and happy. So Tanya and I have had the discussion: we'll cut the strawberries up and continue to feed our family strawberries, not only to support the industry but also to maintain the health of our family.

I commend the Prime Minister and the Attorney-General for the decisive and quick action they've taken to increase the penalties for offences related to the sabotage of the food chain. In response to a conversation I had with Neil Handasyde yesterday, I'm particularly pleased to report that the bill will create new offences that apply where a person contaminates goods, threatens to contaminate goods and, importantly, makes false statements about the contamination of goods and is reckless as to causing public alarm or anxiety, economic loss or harm to public health. That's particularly important, because we've seen that it's not just the action of people inserting pins into fruit but also that people have made hoax or prank claims that we've seen pop up around the place and cause just as much damage as the original offences. As I said, I call on all Australians, particularly those in my electorate, to support the strawberry industry by going out and buying a punnet.

I want to report something that's been brought to my attention, which I think is a wonderful gesture. The Farmer Jacks independent supermarket chain in Perth have put up a notice in their shops that says that all the proceeds of a punnet of strawberries, $1.50, will be returned to the growers. That's an action they are taking to try to support strawberry growers through a very difficult time, and I absolutely applaud them for that. I urge Australians to get out and buy strawberries. Cut them up to make sure they're safe, but keep our kids and our families healthy on strawberries and support our hardworking strawberry growers. Thank you very much.

See this speech in context