Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Ludwig. I refer to the minister's announce­ment last night that Australia will resume the live beef export trade with Indonesia. Can the minister explain what action he has taken to engage with his Indonesian counterparts to accelerate their issuing of import licences so the trade can resume without further delay?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last night I announced that the export suspension has been lifted. The government had always said that the trade would resume when appropriate supply chain assurances could be met and animal welfare standards could be safeguarded.

We have achieved an agreement with industry about how international standards will be operationalised, and now we are also confident the number of exporters in Australia are ready to meet those standards. We have also received advice from the Indonesian counterparts that they are prepared to issue import permits for the importation of live cattle. Strict new conditions, though, have been written into all export permits that will allow the export of live cattle only when animals can be managed through the supply chain to meet those international guidelines which I spoke of.

These conditions require exporters to trace cattle from properties onto vessels, into feedlots, and from feedlots into slaughter­houses at the agreed international standard. Permits will only be issued to those exporters who can demonstrate that this will in fact be the case. Exporters will have to collect and make public the data on the individual consignments that they take to market, including where animals are fattened, how they are transported and where they are slaughtered.

Supply chains will be verified by commercial independent auditors, with the entire process to be independently audited on a regular basis. What that means is that these audits will be made public. So you will have international auditors who audit the particular supply chain, including the end at the abattoir, to ensure that they meet those supply chain assurances, that they meet animal welfare outcomes, that they ensure that animals are not mistreated throughout that supply chain, and that audit by the independent auditor will be available publicly. (Time expired)

Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. The conditions the minister has imposed for the re-establishment of the live export trade could have actually been negotiated both with Indonesia and with Australian cattle exporters instead of imposing a total suspension. Can the minister explain why he disrupted the trade for five weeks and what the ban actually achieved?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those on the other side have been perpetuating this myth. What we had up to the point of the suspension was a self-regulated industry that clearly had failed animal welfare outcomes. There is no question that they had not met animal welfare outcomes that the community would expect. Those on the other side would want the trade to continue without managing animal welfare outcomes. What the suspension allowed to happen was that we could put in place a supply chain assurance which includes traceability, transparency and independent auditing as a vital part of the overall supply chain to ensure animal welfare outcomes, to ensure that we could meet internationally agreed norms of OIE guidelines, to ensure that these cattle exported from Australia would not be mistreated and that each individual consign­ment would be able to be tracked into the abattoir to ensure animal welfare outcomes. Prior to that, there was no guarantee. (Time expired)

Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given that there will be an inevitable delay before exports of live cattle can resume, will the minister assure the Senate that the government will fully compensate those rural communities that have been impacted by the disruption to the live export trade?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In dealing with the first part, the suspension order has been lifted. When will the trade resume? Industry is now able to apply for export permits and once their applications can demonstrate that they can meet the conditions we expect the permits will be issued. In addition, I am advised that the Indonesian government will now issue import permits which are necessary for the trade to recommence. This is the first important step in recommencing this trade and getting it up and running as quickly as possible. That is the best form of outcome—

Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. I thank the minister, but can he actually tell us: will he assure—

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What's the point of order? It's called relevance.

Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Senator Conroy, through you, Mr President. Yes, it is on relevance. The question I did ask was relating to compensation to families affected by this ban.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I believe the minister is answering the question. The question was broader than that. The minister has 25 seconds remaining to answer the question.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What industry have indicated to me constantly throughout this is that the best form of assistance they can get is for this industry to be put up on its footing again on a sustainable basis for the longer term, and that is what this government has done. Those on the other side might complain and whinge. What they never did was ensure that self-regulation would actually deliver the animal welfare outcomes. (Time expired)