Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs (House)) Share this | Hansard source

which does say there is a failure to economically respond to the needs of the Australian people, in relation to this pandemic. It's fair to say that, whilst we support this bill, in speaking to the amendment it's absolutely critical we articulate the real concerns of the Australian public. I understand the defensiveness of the government. I'm not surprised the minister would rise and seek to stop me from talking about these matters. They're embarrassed and don't want to debate the fact that they're seeking to undermine workers' conditions and other such entitlements, including universal super. For this to be the kind of recovery we need to make, we need to make sure that there's job security and wages growth for ordinary working families. It's not a good enough recovery if it leaves people stranded in joblessness, in unemployment, in underemployment or with weak wages, meaning they can't provide for their families. Labor does think that's really important. The government shouldn't be so nervous in having these debates. If they're confident of their position, they should explain it. Otherwise they should withdraw the other bill in this place.

As I say, this bill is an important measure. What it's looking to do, really, is to codify or to make permanent those decisions that ensure the quick passage of goods into the country by removing duties on those goods. That's something that the opposition does support. In fact, as a former customs minister, I understand entirely why this government would seek to do that, and that's why the government has our support with respect to this measure. But I don't think it should go without saying that there are other concerns that we have. If the government were truly concerned about some of the issues and consequences of the effects of the pandemic then they wouldn't be looking to make it harder for ordinary workers to make ends meet.

With respect to the bill, measure 1 introduces new tariff subheadings for supplementary sports food and highly concentrated caffeine products. This will allow the identification and monitoring of these products as they cross the Australian border, ensuring the goods meet Australian standards and are safe for consumption by the public, which is another intention of this bill that we do support. This is particularly important because last year Food Standards Australia New Zealand found highly concentrated caffeine products posed a potential medium-to-high risk to public health and safety. Again, this is a measure that the government is introducing that Labor does support.

Measures 2, 3 and 4 rely on the Customs Tariff Act with the international tariff classification practices of the World Customs Organization's Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System. These measures allow Australia to adopt the World Customs Organization's rulings on the classification of goods. This is important when we have domestic tribunal and court decisions on classification of goods that do not align with WCO rulings. For example, measure 2 clarifies that wheelie bins are not unmotorised vehicles, which doesn't sound particularly important but is a very important regulation. Consistent with that—

Mr Wood interjecting—

There's nothing too small in this place to be discussed, as the minister, I'm sure, would concede. This is consistent with international practice, after a decision of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal held that wheelie bins be classified as unmotorised vehicles—did you know that?

Measure 3 clarifies the difference between vitamin products and other supplements with proven therapeutic and prophylactic benefits and those products intended to supplement a person's diet. These amendments are required following a decision by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and subsequently the High Court on a range of vitamin and mineral products in the form of weight-loss gummies that caused Australia's classification of vitamins to become misaligned with international practice.

Measure 4 introduces a series of additional notes that clarify the distinction between goods which should be classified as specialised parts of other goods and goods that should be classified as pieces of metal of various shapes. This change is required because the AAT has determined that various goods that are metal profiles, and which require further modification before being used as parts in furniture or other goods, should be classified as parts of that final good.

Measure 5 removes the $12,000 special customs duty on used and second-hand motor vehicles applied under the Peru-Australia Free Trade Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Finally, measure 6 makes a number of technical amendments which remove redundant provisions, covering Australia's numerous free trade agreements, that have been fully implemented and are no longer required in the text of the act.

As I said, while Labor supports this bill, we have moved an amendment because of the concerns we have about other matters. As you can see, the bill makes permanent some of the decisions that were made, using the powers of the Customs Act, to make the importation of essential goods to deal with the pandemic easier, and we support the government in their endeavours in that regard. The bill also removes some irregularities and makes sure that the public are safer as a result of the measures it contains. We do support the substantive provisions of the bill but are still concerned that the government, in many respects, has failed to fully comprehend the consequences of this pandemic, economically and socially. For that reason, we will divide on that second reading amendment. We will be imploring the government to do better when it comes to looking after businesses, working people and their families, and communities across Australia.

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