Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Hansard source

I take the explanatory memorandum relating to the bill and move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The speech read as follows—

INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF LIVE ANIMAL EXPORTS BILL 2019

A suitably empowered Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports will provide an additional, independent layer of accountability and assurance over the regulation of Australia's livestock exports. The Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports Bill 2019 will provide greater assurance in the regulation of live animal exports and broader animal welfare issues. It will do this by providing the Inspector-General with the necessary independence from government and the powers to deliver a robust accountability and assurance function. An Inspector-General will promote continual improvements in the regulatory practice, performance and culture of the Department of Agriculture in its role as the regulator of Australia's livestock exports.

The measures in this Bill will enable the Inspector-General to review the administration of provisions relating to the export of livestock under the current regulatory framework. The regulatory framework is established by the Export Control Act 1982 and the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997.

The measures in the Bill will enable the Inspector-General to oversee the Department of Agriculture in its role as the regulator of livestock exports.

By its nature, export of livestock presents a high risk to animal health and welfare. There have been failures to comply with animal welfare standards and concerns over the regulatory response. Australians were appalled in 2018 when they saw footage of sheep dying on voyages to the Middle East on the MV Awassi Express in 2017. Many were further angered by their assessment that the mortality incident reports did not match the footage.

The department's focus on trade facilitation means that it is balancing competing factors in its role as the regulator of live animal exports. Establishing an Inspector-General is part of a broader strategy to develop and maintain an effective regulatory culture. A culture that will deliver animal welfare outcomes consistent with the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock and the best available science.

In April 2018, governance expert Mr Philip Moss AM, was asked to conduct a Review of the Regulatory Capability and Culture of the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources in the Regulation of Live Animal Exports. The government accepted all recommendations from this review when it was delivered in October 2018. Mr Moss recommended that an independent external entity, known as the Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports, oversee the department in its role as the regulator of livestock exports. The independent oversight and evaluation provided by a statutory office is necessary to provide a further layer of assurance over Australia's livestock export management system.

In response to the Moss Review the department has formed an Animal Welfare Branch, appointed a Principal Regulatory Officer and is busy implementing the balance of the recommendations. The Animal Welfare Branch is driving a greater focus on animal welfare, including animal welfare indicators that are based on science and focused on the wellbeing of the animals, rather than mortality. The Principal Regulatory Officer is driving a culture of greater professionalism, improved cohesion and a contemporary regulatory approach as a priority.

In March this year the department appointed an interim Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports, to begin the important work we expect the statutory Inspector-General to undertake.

This Bill will enable the Minister for Agriculture to appoint the Inspector-General, make other arrangements in relation to this appointment and to terminate an appointment if necessary. It will also provide the minister with the power to make rules that set out detailed requirements relating to the role of the Inspector-General and the conduct of reviews. The Bill will empower the Inspector-General to review the performance and functions, or exercise of powers, by officials under the Export Control Act and the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act. In addition the Bill will compel a person to answer questions, and give information or documents to the Inspector-General where the Inspector-General has reasonable grounds for making the request. A civil penalty may apply where a person fails to comply. The Bill will establish the basis for other matters such as information sharing, reporting and protection from civil liability.

Livestock exports are a legitimate business option for our farmers and were worth over $1.7 billion in 2017-18. The livelihoods of farmers and regional businesses across Australia, thousands of jobs, depend on the livestock trade.

These are real people with real bills to pay. Any decisions regarding livestock exports must not be taken lightly–rather, decisions must be based on science and evidence.

The calls to ban livestock exports disregard the value of this trade to our farmers and others in rural and regional Australia. Banning, or even suspending, livestock exports would simply be a 'knee-jerk' reaction, and would be a poorly considered decision.

It's amazing how quickly we have forgotten the 2011 suspension of the live cattle trade to Indonesia and its impacts on farming families. These impacts were felt through the whole supply chain and included businesses that provide transport, mustering, feed and agistment services.

Following the revelation in April 2018 of conditions on the voyage of the Awassi Express to the Middle East in the 2017 northern summer, the government moved quickly to make changes to improve the welfare of our exported livestock. Independent observers were immediately placed on vessels carrying our livestock to the Middle East and information on what they found is now being published on the department's website. There was an increased focus on heat stress management. This included requiring more space for sheep travelling to the Middle East during the northern summer and independent audits of pen air turnover by qualified personnel. These changes align with the recommendations from the McCarthy Review of sheep exports to the Middle East during the northern summer, all of which the government accepted.

The review of the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock is being undertaken in two parts: the final report on the sea transport component was released in March 2019 and recommendations from that tranche of work are being progressively implemented. A review air transport element is underway by an independent Technical Advisory Committee and it is anticipated that its report will be finalised in August 2019.

A review of the Heat Stress Risk Assessment model was undertaken by a Technical Reference Panel and completed in May 2019. The department will be consulting stakeholders on options for implementing the recommendations from that review.

Each of these measures is critical and we will do what is necessary to support our farmers and others involved in the trade and maintain our reputation as a world leader in good animal welfare practices.

This Bill is another important part of the government's plan to address animal welfare concerns with livestock exports. We need to ensure that there are appropriate arrangements to oversee the Department of Agriculture in its role as regulator of livestock exports.

The government supports the farmers who rely on livestock exports, and the exporters who do the right thing. The government is also committed to providing the standards of animal welfare Australians expect. We need this trade to be conducted properly and sustainably.

Our farmers, the Australian community more broadly, and our trading partners should have confidence in the livestock export industry. This Bill is a step in rebuilding that confidence.

Ordered that further consideration of the second reading of this bill be adjourned to the first sitting day of the next period of sittings, in accordance with standing order 111.