John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senator O'Sullivan and Senator Canavan, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) 408 million dozen eggs are produced by Australian growers annually,

(ii) at current growth rates it is forecast that 971 million dozen eggs, an increase of 138 per cent, will have to be produced by Australian growers by the year 2055,

(iii) the average Australian consumes 220 eggs annually,

(iv) Australians have a choice of cage, barn or free-range eggs,

(v) that there is no national farming standard for free range eggs, and

(vi) That the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched legal action against a number of free range egg producers for allegedly misleading consumers; and

(b) further notes that at the Legislative and Governance Forum on Consumer Affairs (CAF) meeting on Friday, 12 June 2015:

(i) ministers agreed to direct officials to prepare a draft national standard on egg labelling, for consideration by ministers later in 2015, to enhance consumer confidence and certainty around egg labelling,

(ii) CAF officials will consult with affected stakeholders and industry in preparing a cost benefit analysis, with the draft standard to include a statement of when the free range label may be used, having regard to recent ACCC case law, and

(iii) CAF officials were asked by the ministers to include in the draft standard other potential category labels.

Question agreed to.