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

The Biosecurity Australia review of the conditions of the import of apples from New Zealand is one of the most scrutinised documents released by Biosecurity Australia in recent times. Industry and science had the chance to comment on the review during the consultative period and they subsequently have not raised any issues of substance to date. The government are always happy to try to meet the expectations of the opposition in providing relevant documents. In this instance, the time frame is very narrow and it is unlikely that we will be able to provide and divert resources to that task in the short period of time. On that basis, the government will oppose the motion. If the opposition wish to stick to the particular date of 6 October, I think they are only playing politics with the issue.