Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I knew that the LNP members federally were out of touch, but I didn't realise they didn't understand how the calendar worked as well. The truth of the matter is that April actually exists in the calendar before 21 May, and the reality is that foot-and-mouth disease was detected during the time of the Morrison coalition government. So they're prognosticating and preaching to us today about an issue that happened on their watch, when, in fact, they did nothing about it and biosecurity was let down in this country under the coalition government. We know that Indonesia had been free of foot-and-mouth-disease since 1986—a point that was made to me when I was in Indonesia a few short years ago.

The World Organisation for Animal Health reported that the first suspected outbreaks of FMD took place in Indonesia's second-largest city, under the coalition government's time in office on 28 April 2022, and further cases were detected on 1 and 3 May 2022. So, if this was a problem, why wasn't the coalition government acting in terms of biosecurity protection in this country when they were last in office? It has spread like wildfire, it is true, in Indonesia, and by June the Indonesian government launched the nationwide vaccination rollout. Nearly one million livestock had been vaccinated, 7,700 animals had been slaughtered and nearly 5,000 had died. It's a very, very important issue, and it affects my electorate and electorates around the country—particularly my electorate where there's a very large beef cattle industry.

The previous coalition government should have had this on its radar, and I find it curious that those opposite criticise us about alleged indecision concerning disinfectant foot baths at international airports, when they did nothing about the issue when they were last in. If there were any concern about biosecurity measures, you would have thought that the previous minister for agriculture and the coalition government would have been on the front foot on this issue.

This government—the Albanese Labor government—is doing things: the use of sanitised foot mats and shoe cleaning for all incoming flights from Indonesia, including Bali; additional questioning by border officials; biosecurity detector dogs in Darwin and Cairns; additional signage; social media; and training additional staff. I want to acknowledge the work done by Meat & Livestock Australia for its support in making funding available for vaccine projects to support importers to vaccinate Australian cattle entering Indonesian feedlots, and we know how important Indonesian feedlots are—to feed them and the live cattle exports as well from this country. I acknowledge the work of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. This is a very, very important issue in my electorate. Agriculture is important in rural Ipswich and the Somerset Region. The ABS data reported in 2021 that the local government areas of Ipswich and the Somerset produce over $166.6 million worth of agricultural commodities. Of that, livestock slaughter equates to $95.4 million. My electorate of Blair is home to the two largest meat processors in the country: JBS at Dinmore and Kilcoy Global Foods in Kilcoy. In fact, JBS played an important role in the Blair jobs summit I held on 10 August this year. It employs nearly 1,400 people and, at capacity, can employ nearly 2,200 people. There's an issue in relation to certification and health in the Chinese market as well. This is the largest private employer in my electorate.

The LNP members and senators have done what they can to politicise this issue. This motion gives the impression that everything happened chronologically on our watch, when it started under their watch. They're very quick to blame Labor for any cracks in biosecurity issues, including walls, when they were responsible, of course, until 21 May this year. I find this whole motion curious, because those opposite loudly called for borders with Indonesia to be closed when the same members cried, when borders were being closed interstate in relation to COVID, that we should open borders. The member for Nanango, who has talked about this in my local newspapers, was vocal on multiple occasions, calling on the Annastacia Palaszczuk government to open borders, but now they're talking about closing borders.

Those opposite are suffering from 'foot-in-mouth disease' in relation to this issue. They're playing politics. I call on those opposite to work collaboratively with the federal Labor government and the Palaszczuk state government as well in relation to these issues. (Time expired)

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