Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Adelaide for this motion. A free trade agreement between Australia and the European Union holds great potential for Australian producers and consumers. Like many in this place, I support the principle of increasing trade avenues for our industries, particularly in agriculture. But, while the agreement still under negotiation holds potential, many in my region in north-east Victoria are deeply concerned at what such an agreement could mean for them with its potential to greatly harm their livelihoods if the government was to sign onto an agreement which is bad for Australia. The fear in my electorate comes from seeing the demands by the EU when it comes to geographic indications on products, specifically the demand from Italy that grape growers and winemakers in Australia be banned from using the name 'Prosecco'.

Almost 60 per cent of Australia's Prosecco is grown in the beautiful King Valley in my electorate of Indi, a key pillar of the viticulture industry, which is a main employer in my region. Prosecco is worth more than $200 million a year to Australia's economy in sales alone, with even more value added when you consider the tourism and hospitality industries as well. If the use of the name Prosecco was banned, it would cause significant economic distress to this industry, causing confusion to consumers, adding significant costs and reducing sales. Free trade agreements are supposed to increase prosperity and jobs, but a free trade agreement that sells our Prosecco would do the exact opposite.

As parliamentarians we want to encourage industries which are growing and innovating, and Prosecco producers in my electorate of Indi are doing just that. They are family owned businesses putting in the work and reaping the rewards. We must not let them down.

Doctor Hazel Moir, an expert in geographic indications at the Australian National University, was quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald recently. Dr Moir has empirical evidence on geographic indications, or GIs, as they're known. Dr Moir says it's clear that banning the use of names such as Prosecco or feta would hurt Australian producers, but what isn't clear, she says, is how limiting the use of such terms actually benefits consumers or producers who are able to use the protected term. What that means is the bid to stifle the use of the name Prosecco is not about creating benefits for Italian producers but about actively harming Australian producers, and such a move should not be rewarded and codified into any free trade agreement.

At this point, it must be noted that we're speaking about a grape variety and not a method, such as champagne. It's very important to get the facts right because it was only in 2009 that Italy changed the name of the grape variety to 'glera' and registered 'prosecco' as a geographic indicator in the European Union. But this is not just an argument about cold hard economics; it's also about our identity as a nation, proud of its migrant history. The first prosecco vines in Australia were planted by Otto Dal Zotto, who decided to plant the variety because it reminded him of his childhood home in Italy, in Valdobbiadene. To hear Otto speak about prosecco, you know this is about so much more than the bottom line; it's about maintaining that identity, it's about growing that connection and it's about us as a migrant nation and seeing us thrive for decades into the future.

Some members may be listening to this right now and thinking, 'Well, there's no prosecco in my region; this isn't a big deal.' But if GI status were to be granted to prosecco, it would create a concerning precedent for other wine varieties. In recent EU trade negotiations with China, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and New Zealand, attempts were made to protect an expanding list of grape varieties—so this could just be the start. I understand negotiating a free trade agreement not an easy thing to do, and I am grateful to the trade minister, Don Farrell, who last year took the time to meet the grape growers and winemakers from the King Valley and hear about this issue and what prosecco means to them. I know that Minister Farrell understands deeply how important it is to remain steadfast on this point, with no backward steps.

I thank the member for this motion, and I absolutely underscore the importance of protecting our prosecco industry and making sure we get the best results under this EU deal for our country.

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