Perin Davey (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Through you, Madam Deputy President, I would like to thank Senator Di Natale for his contribution, which I acknowledge, and I support the intent of his contribution. However, this bill is specifically about export, and I think we need to deal with TGA matters through the appropriate regulations.

There are a lot of opportunities in the medicinal cannabis area—and I'd like to just put in a plug for my colleagues in the New South Wales parliament, who in 2016 moved to enable the use of medicinal cannabis; so it is truly a bipartisan acknowledgement that there is a lot to be said for medicinal cannabis—but today I want to talk about the Export Control Legislation Amendment (Certification of Narcotic Exports) Bill 2020.

This bill reflects the ongoing support from our government, the National Party working with the Liberal Party, for Australian agriculture, because, at the end of the day, whether it is used for medicinal cannabis or industrial hemp, this is an agricultural product. I share the National Farmers Federation's ambitious goal to grow Australian agriculture to $100 billion by 2030—it's currently at $60 billion—and to do this we must look at two things: firstly, identifying emerging agricultural markets; and, secondly, ensuring that we in government do what we can to increase market access overseas. This bill recognises that legal narcotics such as medicinal cannabis and low-THC hemp are emerging markets, and we are easing restrictions so our producers can access those markets. Two-thirds of our traditional agricultural produce is exported. This legislation is designed to give our producers of legal narcotic products the same chance as we give to our wool-, beef- and wine-producing farmers, who enjoy the status of being leading Australian agricultural exporters.

Currently, markets in East and South-East Asia, as well as Europe, require government issued certification on plant exports, and that is fair enough. The amendment legislation we are debating today will allow our government to issue those certificates for our narcotic products—legal narcotic products. It will amend the Export Control Act and, in March 2021, will replace the 1982 act to ensure continuation. It is important to note that these changes only refer to legitimate narcotic goods, such as medicinal cannabis, and will not change other regulatory controls that we have in place on narcotics more broadly which we do not seek to produce, export or import. But, for our legal narcotics, we want to ensure that our growers are not at a competitive disadvantage in international markets, and this bill deals with that quickly and efficiently.

This legislation supports two key products that I want to talk about very briefly. Medicinal cannabis is a different product to marijuana—and our traditional view of it. It is a clear opportunity for a positive agricultural product—to grow cannabis plants under strict control orders and legislation. It is something the Morrison government, the coalition, strongly believes in, as shown by government's announcement last October of $3 million for the Medical Research Future Fund to examine the benefits of medicinal cannabis for pain or symptoms and side-effect management for cancer patients. Our government is committed to ensuring a safe, quality, regulated supply of medicinal cannabis to Australian patients, and this bill will enable the producers of that safe medicinal cannabis to access international markets.

There is also industrial hemp. This is a low-THC cannabis plant, the fibres and seeds of which are used for a variety of products. The use of low-THC cannabis as a useable fibre can be traced back some 50,000 years. Today it has multiple uses, including in paper, textiles, ropes, clothing and food for humans as well as animals. In fact, hemp seed is now claimed as a superfood in a lot of the trendy cafes.

The potential for our farmers to compete in international markets is huge, and this bill will assist our Australian growers to participate in those markets. Allowing government certification will give such growers the best chance to export their product overseas. We all know our farmers make decisions on what to grow based on current demand, supplies, what is best for their on-farm business and where they can access markets, and that's what this bill is about.

In 2011-12 the gross value of Australian hemp production was around $300,000—over an estimated 185 hectares of plantation. In November 2017 the Australian food standards code was amended to permit the sale of low-THC hemp seed for food consumption, which has seen a small increase in hemp production. This bill will further raise the opportunities. Due to the perceived health benefits of hemp seed and the like, as well as traditional and novel uses for hemp fibre, which now include being used for biodegradable plastics, it should be no surprise that there is perceived to be a global increase in industrial hemp demand, making it an emerging market both domestically and internationally.

The certification of Australian industrial hemp and now medicinal cannabis by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment will give many countries the assurance required to import our produce, and we all know Australia is very highly regarded internationally for its agricultural produce. Our government supports this because we believe in Australian agriculture, we believe in the Australian farmer and we believe in regional and rural Australia.

Today we are talking about an emerging agricultural market which will continue to grow, and it would be remiss of us not to enable our farmers to have full access to those markets. When you increase exports you increase the incomes of farmers and strengthen the economies of regional and rural Australia, and that is what this legislation is designed to do. Agriculture in Australia has always been ambitious and innovative. This legislation reflects that ambition and recognises this increasing market as an opportunity. We have a tremendous reputation for our produce both in the amount we produce—three times more than we consume—and in the quality. There is no reason why that reputation can't extend to our production of legal narcotics, and I commend this bill to the chamber.