Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is with a great deal of pleasure that I rise to speak to the report of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation and References Committees visit to Vietnam in April last year. The purpose of the committee's visit was to assist our inquiry into the adequacy of Australia's biosecurity measures and response preparedness. Our particular focus was on food safety biosecurity systems in Australia's key export markets. I was joined by Senator Colbeck, Senator Whish-Wilson and our great mate, the late Senator Linda White. We were all generously supported by the former secretary of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee, Gerry McInally.

I would like to place on the record the entire delegation's thanks to the team at the Australian Embassy in Vietnam that supported us throughout our time there. In particular, I would like to acknowledge Tony Harman, James Deane, Nguyen Thank An and Mguyen Khanh Minh. Their support of our delegation and their depth of knowledge of the issues we were investigating was, to say the least, magnificent. Tony deserves a big medal for his patience, practical knowledge and diligence while on the road with us. The delegation also appreciated the support and wise counsel we received from Australian Ambassador Andrew Goledzinowski.

During our time in Vietnam, the committee members appreciated meeting with and learning from Australian business operators based in Vietnam and representatives from the aquaculture, agriculture and supermarket sectors. Like many Australians, I used to labour under the misinformation about the cleanliness and quality of the seafood processing industry in Vietnam. Our meetings with the operators and a visit to a processing centre were real eye-openers for me and, of course, the rest of the delegation. The cleanliness and efficiency of Vietnamese seafood processing is truly outstanding. The processing facilities at HaiViet Corporation are world class. Their comprehensive processing steps that ensure monitoring and testing to guarantee compliance with Australian biosecurity requirements are both reassuring and impressive. Hai Viet specialises in the production of squid, cuttlefish, octopus, fish and shellfish, along with a separate prawn-processing division.

Australia is the sixth-largest market for Vietnamese seafood. The value of seafood imports from Vietnam to Australia has grown from US$197 million in 2018 to a staggering US$365 million in 2022—and it's growing. This growth in trade follows the signing of the CPTPP agreement. That agreement has proved vital in expanding trade between our two nations and deepening our economic relationship.

In addition to gaining a greater understanding of the Vietnamese seafood industry, the committee members also appreciated the opportunity to learn more about fresh food and supermarket operations, shipbuilding, the fashion industry and new and emerging industries like insect production, along with Vietnam's thriving agriculture and aquaculture research and development organisations. We also appreciated the opportunity to meet with government officials and parliamentary groups.

The delegation originally planned to include a visit to Indonesia as part of our inquiry; however, we were forced to cancel those plans at the last minute, unfortunately, due to an outbreak of COVID. I didn't get it—I'll just let you know that—but everyone else did.

In closing, I again thank all of the Australian and Vietnamese officials that supported us during our visit. But I really want to put out a special thanks to my colleagues—as I said earlier, Senators Colbeck and Wish-Wilson, along with our late friend Senator Linda White. Linda brought her usual diligence, knowledge and flair to all meetings. She was brilliant to work with throughout her time in the Senate, and we all miss her. The way we all worked together overseas was a real example of 'team Australia'. There was no red. There was no blue. We were all Aussies. It's important to place on the record that we did work as a team, and it was a pleasure, I say to my colleagues, to work with each and every one of you. It's also important to note that not all the work of the Senate reflects the ugliness of the performances from some during question time.