Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

In terms of complying with OIE international standards—that is, meeting those relevant standards—in Indonesia, can I say at the outset that the industry working group set up by me has been working through the standards document. This is an issue that the opposi­tion fails to appreciate the subtlety of, but it is quite plain to those who understand this issue. We are putting in place tracking—in other words, so the standards meet supply chain assurance.

It is does not rise or fall on whether an abattoir is up to standard or meets OIE guidelines. What is required is that there be supply chain assurance in place—that is, the supply chain for tracking animals from onshore through to the boat, through to the feedlot and then from the feedlot to the slaughter yard. This requires both tracking and transparency in the supply chain plus independent auditing at the abattoir—all the way through. All of those elements are required. So it is not only that the abattoirs themselves are required to meet OIE standards, because they are; but it is important to note that for the—