Bill Heffernan (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will not hold up the Senate. This is a really good example of the Senate working and a committee working. I do not think the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee has ever had a dissenting report. This is a reference that I took to the committee on behalf of the lamb industry, and I thank the Senate, the government and the committee for taking up this inquiry with enthusiasm. It is patently obvious that we need to harmonise lamb standards right across Australia. It is patently obvious that the industry has amongst it a lot of likeable rogues who if they can get away with things they will. The best way to fix all that is to look in every mouth before slaughter, because once the head comes off a sheep—as we all know—we do not know how old it is.

I would like to thank the committee for its cooperation and put up this inquiry as a really good example and a signal to the meat industry that we mean business. It is about time they got their act into gear. They were grateful for the trigger that we provided for debate within the industry. We had some diverse views. We had some exporters who took the view that anything that looked like a reasonably conforming sheep should not have to be described as a sheep—that is, if you can get rid of it as lamb at a profit, good luck. I seriously oppose that proposition. The quality and the skill of providing a lamb before it has cut its first two teeth need to be recognised as premium in the market. If the industry does not adopt the recommendations of this committee, it will destroy the lamb industry—and I think Sam Kekovich ought to come along and punch their lights out!