Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I want to get on the record from the minister that the nature of the terms of reference, when read in a strictly literal sense, do not refer to the matter that I raised, which is essentially about what happened at the Japanese end before the horses left Japan and came to Australia. In the briefing I had in relation to the bill, it was explained that the terms of reference, particularly in relation to matters which were incidental to the matters referred to in the first paragraph regarding the outbreak and the quarantine requirements, would include pre arrival as well as post arrival. I notice that somewhere in the bill—I cannot find the exact place now—it says that there can be hearings either inside or outside Australia.

I wanted to get on the record from the minister, because it is not stated in the second reading speech, that this inquiry into the outbreak of equine influenza in Australia will not just be confined to circumstances, post arrival, of any horses to Eastern Creek or anywhere else and that it will allow for a full investigation of all the circumstances that led to the outbreak, especially since we know that the horses arrived at Eastern Creek on 8 August and that the equine influenza was established by about 24 August—but the Japanese had known, as I said, as early as 15 August that there were horses in Japan with the disease. We know those horses were quarantined for four weeks. I think it would be important that the commissioner have the power he needs to have a really good look at the circumstances before there was any transhipment, as well. I just want the minister to put on the record that those matters are capable of being investigated under the terms of reference as stated.