Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—At the request of the member for Maranoa, I move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that Australia faces a foot and mouth disease (FMD) biosecurity crisis on its borders;

(2) notes that:

(a) to date, Indonesia has recorded hundreds of thousands of FMD cases during the uncontrolled outbreak of this disease;

(b) an outbreak of FMD in Australia would inflict catastrophic damage on Australia's $80 billion livestock industry, decimate the agriculture sector, significantly hurt the Australian economy, and increase the everyday cost of food;

(c) since FMD was detected in Bali on 5 July 2022, it took more than three weeks of indecision and delay for the Government to introduce disinfectant footbaths at international Australian airports; and

(d) the Government has failed to respond quickly and decisively to this biosecurity threat, and has failed in its responsibility to introduce critical biosecurity protections to keep Australia safe from FMD; and

(3) calls on the Government to:

(a) immediately offer a 3D X-ray screening program with Indonesia, so that organic and plant matter in luggage can be effectively identified;

(b) immediately enforce a ban on all passengers from Indonesia bringing any food products into Australia; and

(c) immediately confirm the current biosecurity risk level and at what point, predicated on scientific data, the international border with Indonesia would need to be temporarily closed, in order to protect Australia from the threat of FMD.

Foot-and-mouth disease has not been in our country for 130 years. The Labor government needs to take stronger action to reduce the very real threat—potentially the imminent threat—of FMD, which would devastate the $80 billion livestock agricultural industry. I know that the member for Barker is going to have more to say about this as well, but I've moved this motion on behalf of the member for Maranoa—the shadow agriculture minister and the Nationals leader. He, like me, and I'm sure the member for Barker and the member for Wright, has had so many farmers, stock and station agents, abattoir owners and others expressing their fears about what foot-and-mouth disease would do to Australia if it arrived in this country. I'm desperately concerned that traces have already been detected in both Melbourne and Adelaide. This is a significant threat that I can't underplay.

Many Riverina and Central West farmers have asked me to implore the government to stop all travel to and from Bali. Now, I know that is a drastic measure—that's not what I'm requesting here—but it has been asked by farmers. This motion calls on the government to immediately confirm the current biosecurity risk level, and at what point—predicated on scientific data, and science is extremely important in this regard; it's been stated by the member for Maranoa—the international border with Indonesia would need to be temporarily closed in order to protect Australia from the threat of foot-and-mouth disease. I believe the government has a responsibility to seriously consider every option on the table.

I appreciate that the minister for agriculture, Senator Murray Watt, has had a briefing. It was one of the best-attended meetings I've ever seen in this place. It was held in the theatrette last week. The number in attendance just confirmed the nature and the seriousness that we certainly hold on this side, and I'm sure others opposite do too. Whilst I appreciate that drastic steps may need to be taken, nothing should be off the table when it comes to protecting not just the agricultural industry but, indeed, our nation. I cannot believe that somebody who once occupied a seat in this place and is now a minister in the West Australian parliament, Alannah MacTiernan, suggested that beef and dairy prices might be reduced if foot-and-mouth disease took hold in Australia. That is just—

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