Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I will separate the two concepts. One is the due diligence that is required by the importer and one is the risk matrix. They are distinct and different. When you talk about DNA as being part of the risk matrix you have fallen into error. It is not part of the risk matrix. It is for the importer to demonstrate whether or not it is legal timber, through due diligence. They may utilise that DNA testing, but they may also utilise a whole range of other legitimate ways to demonstrate that it is not illegally logged timber.

Secondly, regarding the risk of corruption more broadly, the Australian government works through a number of multilateral forums, including the United Nation's Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, to combat illicit timber and forest products trafficking in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2010 the Attorney-General's Department and AUSTRAC delivered workshops on environmental crimes and money laundering which were attended by a number of Asia-Pacific nations. That is, broadly, the work that the Australian government does in these regions.

Specifically, the way this legislation will operate is that it will require due diligence by an importer to meet all of the requirements within the legislation. The auditing and the compliance system in place—in other words, the third part—will identify where there has been problems in the due diligence process. That is the answer to the two parts to the second question, which related to the international work that the government is doing in those fora and to how the compliance system will work on the ground.