Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport) Share this | Hansard source

I cannot help but take that interjection. I would have thought that there were two or three or more lawyers who sit in front of Senator Heffernan on the government ministerial benches and who ought to be gotten rid of, so perhaps we will start there. Mr Brennan has, quite differently, a very good reputation, an eminent reputation, and there is no indication from reading his report that he brings any particular bias to it. His report, independently commissioned by the New South Wales Farmers Association, clearly depicts problems that need rectification, but we should not take his word for it. I am suggesting not that we take his word for it but that that should form the basis of a decision to make our own inquiry and for this chamber to authorise the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee—there will be only one committee shortly, so it does not matter which one we refer it to, but we are proposing to refer it to the legislation committee—to conduct an inquiry into these matters and to give members of the public, the farming community, academics, lawyers and farmers the opportunity to express their points of view.

Why would the government oppose that? Why would the National Farmers Federation oppose an inquiry to get at the facts? I do not believe that they would, but I do believe that, if someone said to them that there is a witch-hunt going on and that they want to go after people rather than the issue, they might be opposed to that. That is the reason we have couched our proposal in the language that we have and the reason that we want a thorough investigation of these issues, which relate to the department, Biosecurity Australia and AQIS, how the system is working, what breakdowns are occurring within the system, whether that is causing a problem, what those problems may be and how they are manifesting themselves, and what we should do to correct those problems. Frankly, this is an opportunity that the Senate ought not miss. This is an opportunity where the Senate has a chance to pick up an issue, to do its job, to take this issue to the people who are concerned about it, to conduct hearings here and in other parts of the country, to take written submissions, to hear evidence and to present a report.

This committee has a history of presenting unanimous reports. This committee goes beyond the politics of an issue on more occasions than not. This committee examines the issues relevant to the areas of its portfolio, if I can put it that way, and presents a united view to the parliament. So why not support it? I will be interested to hear the answer to that question when listening to the submissions against this reference so that I can understand, if I take the tenor of the interjections the way that I do—that is, that the government will be opposing this reference—just why that opposition occurs. It seems to me that the only logical basis for opposing this is that you have something to hide or that you have a minister you have no confidence in. It is probably the latter; it may be both, but we will judge that on the comments that are made in this debate. I thank the Senate for the opportunity. I look forward to hearing from those who are interested in this matter. I will be watching the vote very carefully.