Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the government's package of bills regarding agriculture biosecurity levies: the Agriculture (Biosecurity Protection) Levies Bill 2024, the Agriculture (Biosecurity Protection) Charges Bill 2024 and the Agriculture (Biosecurity Protection) Levies and Charges Collection Bill 2024.

I'd like to begin my contribution to this debate by acknowledging the importance of maintaining a strong and robust biosecurity system. Ensuring we are protected from exotic pests and diseases is critical to the preservation and future of local food production, and I'm sure that Australia's 85,000 farmers would agree. Recent events surrounding the threat of foot-and-mouth disease so close to our borders have highlighted how we must remain ever vigilant to this threat. However, it must be said that the approach that's outlined in this package of bills before us today is absurd and completely unfair.

The so-called biosecurity protection levy will charge Australian primary producers $50 million per year to pay for the biosecurity costs of importers. Under this legislation, farmers and fishers from my electorate will be forced to cover the risks associated with foreign competitors. How ridiculous! Let's reflect on that proposition for a second. Australian producers, who are already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, staffing shortages and issues relating to natural disasters, will be burdened with further fees in order to ensure that their competitor's produce does not present a biosecurity threat. It sounds like a joke. It sounds like someone has made it up. Why should it be the responsibility of grain growers in the Wheatbelt, in my electorate of Durack; of my cattle producers in the wonderful region of the Gascoyne; or of the cray fishermen in the Mid West to fund this process? This is just another stab in the gut for struggling producers and will no doubt adversely affect Western Australian producers. This bill is just the latest attack on WA farmers by this Labor government.

Again, I call on the minister for agriculture to release the live sheep export report that has been sitting on his desk since October, probably at the bottom of a very, very large in-tray, collecting dust. That trade is fundamental to the lives and livelihoods of so many Western Australian communities, and, at the very least, they deserve answers and some honesty from this government about what its plans are for this industry. The arguments to abolish the live sheep trade are not based on facts, and I believe this decision—if indeed there is a decision, but we do not know because the report is at the bottom of the in-tray—is simply a method to win metropolitan seats from the Greens political party. It has nothing to do with animal health. It's all to do with politics. Shameful!

It's worth noting that, just like their decision to end the live sheep trade, the introduction of the biosecurity levy is also pretty well universally opposed by producers around Australia. The Albanese government has failed once again to have a legitimate consultation process that takes the concerns of our Australian farmers and primary producers into consideration. In fact, over 50 industry organisations, many of whom represent farmers and producers in my electorate of Durack, have written to the government calling on them to axe this tax and take a different approach.

This morning I had the wonderful pleasure of catching up with Colin, Duncan and Barry from Grain Producers Australia. I'd like to thank them for their strong leadership and for standing up for Australian farmers. I must say that their frustration with this new tax was palpable. Barry Large is the chair of the GPA and is a WA grain farmer from Miling in my electorate of Durack. Barry has pointed out that Australian producers already pay hundreds of millions of dollars each year in various levies. They're already doing this, and now the government wants them to pay more. What they're already doing is delivering many public benefits, including opportunities for more research, as well as environmental gains.

Adding to the agricultural sector's frustration is the staggering lack of detail. These bills fail to outline exactly who will be paying the levy and only mentions 'certain producers'. This basic detail is expected to be set out in regulations and will likely cover farmers, fishers and foresters. Also missing is how much producers will be charged or how the levy will be collected. Incredibly, from all accounts that we've heard, the money that will get raised through this levy might not even contribute to the strengthening of our biosecurity system and will instead just be dumped in consolidated revenue. Honestly, you cannot make this stuff up.

If passed, these reforms are set to apply from 1 July—that's 1 July this year, just a couple of months away. That is just three short months away, yet so many important questions remain unanswered. This is despite the policy being announced in May 2023. The incompetence of this Labor government is, quite frankly, next level. This is just the latest example of this government making policy on the run and failing to properly consult with regional Australia. And it's not just industry and the coalition who are against this bill. Two independent reviews, conducted by the Productivity Commission and the Australian National University, have found it is very flawed policy indeed.

And it is no wonder, as another important consideration is that the cost of this levy will inevitably be passed on to consumers. As if the Australian public weren't doing it tough enough as it is, the government's going to make it harder, not easier, for them to put food on the table. This levy will drive up prices at the supermarket when Australians can least afford it. Through this legislation, Labor are essentially introducing a fresh food tax on Australian produce.

It's worth noting that I think even those opposite understand this legislation is a dud. Last time I checked, there were more than 20 members from our side, the coalition side, who are listed to speak on this debate. Of all the speakers in this debate, let me tell you, members of the public, there was only one person from the Labor government—the people who are creating this legislation—who had their name down to speak. Whether they have spoken or not, I'm unsure, but it was only one. When I informed my visitors from Grain Producers Australia about this, they weren't surprised to hear it, but they were very, very disappointed.

So I must ask: if this is such a good piece of legislation, backed by the government, where are all the Labor members of parliament lining up here to talk about this fabulous legislation? Where are they, particularly the ones from regional Australia—all those who say that they care deeply about regional Australia? Where are they? They're not here! Why aren't they lining up here to defend this ridiculous and useless piece of legislation? Their silence represents their contempt for, or at least their apathy about, regional Australia.

They were all too eager to speak about the so-called cost-of-living tax cuts bill a couple of weeks ago, to pretend that an extra $15 is going to make a significant difference. Inflationary measures like this one won't make that $15 go very far at all. If this bill is passed, Australian families will have to pay more for local meat, seafood, fruit and veggies in order to subsidise produce from overseas. Time and time again, Labor are responsible for implementing policies that drive inflation further and prolong this cost-of-living crisis. I don't know how long the Prime Minister and the Treasurer will continue to point the finger at somebody else when this is a crisis that they're responsible for. Guess what? Given my conversations across Durack, I think that regional Western Australians have woken up to this fact, and I'm sure that people in Perth and other capital cities are starting to as well. Unfortunately, Labor does have the numbers for this bill; soon, when we leave the Federation Chamber and head back to the main chamber, I'm sure every single one of these Labor politicians who say they care about regional Australia will line up and support this legislation. They should hang their heads in shame!

For those listening at home: the legislation will then make its way to the Senate. Given the multitude of issues with this legislation, I call on the Senate crossbenchers to do their homework—please. Understand what this will do to regional communities and make sure that this useless package of legislation receives proper scrutiny before a committee. It should not be rushed through to meet the deadline of 1 July without all these answers being resolved. At the very least, maybe we will actually get rid of this useless piece of legislation.

I want to conclude by returning to the point I made at the start of my contribution: we do need a strong biosecurity system. On this side of the House, we have a plan that's reasonable, makes sense and is supported by industry and independent review. Our approach is targeted at the risk creators, not at our local Australian producers. When we return to the government, which I'm sure will be very soon—after the next election—we will introduce an importer container levy. That will see the importers—yes, the importers: the people who are creating the risk—paying to cover the cost of our biosecurity system. Applying a charge on containerised cargo coming into Australia will mean that local farmers aren't punished for the biosecurity risks that others create. This was an important recommendation included in the independent Craik biosecurity review. Unfortunately, it has been rejected by this hapless government. If producers overseas want to sell their product in Australia, that's fine; that's the way international trade and markets work. But we shouldn't punish Australian farmers to enable this. If producers want to sell their product in Australia then they should be the ones paying to ensure that it's okay and doesn't present a risk.

Those opposite have reflected on the fact that the coalition has been the party of no. They've talked about it a lot. The fact is that when you put up rubbish legislation like this, which is almost universally opposed by stakeholders, favours international competitors over local producers and leaves all the important questions unanswered, then of course we're going to say no. They give us no choice but to reject this useless piece of legislation. Of course we're going to say no to yet another attack on regional Australia which this government seems hell-bent on pursuing. But we aren't just saying no; we've offered an alternative, which I sincerely hope those opposite take up. It's an alternative which would be welcomed by Australian producers and also by consumers who want to continue to enjoy local Australian produce.

I'm tired of hearing from farmers right across my electorate who are already struggling under this government. They need help right now—not another Labor policy that makes things even worse. I will not support this package of legislation and I call on the minister of agriculture to do his job, and to put Australian farmers first for a change. It's time to reverse course and to scrap this tax.

Sitting suspended from 12 : 55 to 16 : 0 5

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