Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Senator White referred to the need to consider the feedback with respect to the minister for agriculture's performance. Well, I have some feedback. This feedback isn't from a senator in this place; this feedback is from the industry. This is what the organics industry is saying about Minister Watt: 'Minister Watt ignores evidence, experts and industry with captain's call on domestic regulation'. That's what the industry's saying. There's some feedback for Senator Watt. 'Minister Watt ignores evidence, experts and industry with captain's call on domestic regulation'. There's some feedback in relation to this very issue which we're debating today in relation to the minister's failure to promptly comply with an order for the production of documents that was issued with the order of this Senate—an important check and balance in our Australian democracy.

After Australian Organic Ltd actually referred to a document which the minister had not tabled in compliance with the order for the production of documents, after that had been disclosed and brought to this chamber's attention by the industry, we said: 'Hang on, they're referring to a document from the minister and the minister didn't include it in the order for the production of documents. What's going on?' We called the minister in to provide an explanation. And then? The minister came into this place and said: 'Oh, an administrative oversight. I forgot a few documents.' They just happened to be some of the most relevant documents in relation to the subject for the order for the production of documents. 'I forgot a few documents. Sorry about that.' It doesn't exactly instil confidence in relation to this minister and his ability or desire to comply with orders for the production of documents.

We've seen it here before, in this term. Six times before this occasion, the minister has had to be dragged kicking and screaming into this place to explain why he hasn't provided documents which the Senate has requested and ordered. The process should not work that way. The minister and his department, the minister's responsible for the department, should comply with the orders of this Senate. The minister should comply.

These documents being tabled today—this is where they are; we got them half an hour or so ago—are the most important documents in relation to this particular order for the production of documents. They're not collateral documents; they go to the very heart of the issue. These are the documents. 'Administrative oversight.' 'We forgot to give you the most important documents.' They're the most important documents identified in that order for the production of documents. Give us a break. Goodness me! It's absolutely astounding.

And this is about opportunity. As Senator Davey said, the organics food industry is worth hundreds of billions of dollars and has the potential to increase by hundreds of billions of dollars. If Australia does not have an appropriate standard to give our own Australian consumers confidence with respect to whether or not a food is truly organic to an appropriate standard, that is going to hurt our ability to export, to take advantage of the opportunities overseas with respect to organic food. That's what we're talking about here. This is an opportunity worth hundreds of billions of dollars. It is not good enough, in relation to an issue this important, for Minister Watt to ignore evidence, experts and industry with a captain's call on domestic regulation. Those are the words of the industry itself, not my words.

With respect to the reports that Senator White referred to, the biggest omission in those reports is that they don't actually consider the export opportunity itself. They're only looking in a very limited way with respect to the internal regulation of the industry, without taking into account the great opportunities for organic food on the world stage. I'm proud that, in the previous term, I served in a government which set a target of $100 billion of agricultural production and exports. Australia is leading the way in terms of agricultural production and exports. We need to do better on this. The minister needs to lift his game and listen to the industry in relation to the opportunities in this space.

Question agreed to.