Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

What a disappointing process we have found ourselves in this evening. Last Thursday night the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport had the opportunity to hear from AQIS and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. On Friday we heard from industry. It was a very balanced committee inquiry. The process was excellent and the questions were good. The comments from industry all pointed in one direction—that is, that there was a willingness to work with AQIS, to work with industry and to work with the government to achieve the reforms that they wanted to see but that it was essential there was no risk at the time and that the rebate stayed.

We came to this chamber yesterday and flagged what we were going to do. As a result of that, the shadow minister attempted to speak to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in an effort to come to some understanding as to what would move this whole process forward, armed with the fact, as I said last evening, that AQIS itself was in a position of negotiation. Most industry was in a position where they were willing—they wanted to see reforms but they wanted to see the rebate in place first. The shadow minister reported that Minister Burke could not give him any undertaking that there were any funds. It was within the capacity of the minister, if he chose to, to convene a meeting with the committee members. I do not think there would have been any members of the committee who would not have been prepared to meet.