Stephen Jones (Throsby, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

During the last election Labor made a commitment to lead a national consultation and discussion on phasing out the importation, manufacture, sale and advertising of cosmetics and cosmetic products that have been tested on animals. I am very pleased to say that last week the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, the member for Hotham and I announced that we would be commencing a public consultation process to review our policy and, hopefully, to review the law of this country on this particular issue. Anyone can be a part of Labor's consultation process. In fact, I invite members of the government to participate in the discussion as well, because we want to hear the views of all Australians including consumers, animal rights groups and, importantly, the industry stakeholders.

Developing a new party policy on the testing of cosmetics on animals is a complex matter, but it is also an important matter and we want to make sure that we get it right. In addition to public submissions, we are holding public forums in major cities around the country. Australia should not be behind the rest of the world on this issue. The European Union is ahead of us, Israel and India are ahead of us—and Australia needs to get with it. Changing the policy is not the objective; changing the law is, and that is what Labor wants to do. (Time expired)