Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport) Share this | Hansard source

Can I acknowledge all the speakers who've made a contribution to this debate. Agriculture is and has been a cornerstone of our economy, particularly through the COVID period, where the resource and agriculture sectors both held their own. I acknowledge all of those exporters in my electorate who will benefit from this, in the Lockyer Valley and the Fassifern Valley—one of the seven most fertile valleys in the world, where we produce vegetables that go all around the country.

The Export Control Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2020 is required to amend parts of the Export Control Act 2020. The bill addresses issues identified since the Export Control Act 2020 received royal assent on 6 March 2020, following consultation with key industry stakeholders. The bill will clarify the circumstances where a fit and proper person test is required for an application to vary a registration of an establishment, or to approve an alteration of an establishment. It will enable the secretary to make rules to enable notice of intent to export a consignment of prescribed goods to be approved or refused. Furthermore, the bill will modify how certain provisions apply to the reviewable decisions of the tariff rate quotas and enable the secretary to make rules to prescribe requirements for determining whether to ensure an export permit. The bill will also clarify which instrument may be incorporated into the framework to calculate the tariff rate quota for those particular goods. The bill will also support implementation of the new export control framework and minimise the administrative burden for Australian agricultural export industries and stakeholders. The bill will support the initiative of the Morrison-McCormack government to bust congestion in regulation and ensure that agricultural industries come out firing after the threat of coronavirus has passed our nation.

I table an amendment to the explanatory memorandum, in response to a request by the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, providing additional information about the bill. With that, I commend the bill to the House.

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