Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law) Share this | Hansard source

I have got an enormous range of detail that I am happy to give to the Senate about the issue of prawns. I have got an enormous range of material I can give you about the issue of importation of prawns. But I do think it is reasonable to point out that this is only the second question I have had in one year. Nevertheless, I am prepared and I do have some advice I can pass on on behalf of the minister, who is actually located in the other chamber, Senator Boswell.

I am pleased to receive this question from Senator Boswell because the previous Liberal government, particularly on this issue of quarantine and prawns, had an absolutely appalling record. The fact is that the prawn and prawn products import risk analysis was first published as a draft in 1998. Ten years later, the Rudd Labor government, when it was elected, found that the prawn IRA was still in draft form. So it has taken 10 years and it is still not finalised. Goodness knows what the National Party was doing when it was in government. In the meantime, because of the 10 years it has taken—