Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The government is not changing its policy towards the importation of live cattle, hence this is not a viable pathway for introducing BSE into Australia. It is important that I say this: BSE is not a contagious disease, and its only significant route of transmission is through feeding cattle meat and bonemeal produced from BSE infected cattle. Australia has a ban on the importation of this risk material. We also have a ban on Australian cattle domestically being fed bonemeal. There is therefore no viable pathway for Australian cattle to contract BSE from safe imported fresh beef.

Despite the opposition’s claims, the policy change from 1 March—next Monday—does not mean that beef from other countries will start arriving the following day. We have to make that very, very clear; some mistruths have been put out that at one minute past 12 the gates would be opened.