Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

(1)      That the Senate orders the Government to:   (a)   make available information regarding the determination of eligibility of New Zealand pack houses and orchards to export apples to Australia, specifically:      (i)   supply copies of audit checklists and other audit tools used to determine the eligibility of New Zealand pack houses and orchards to export apples to Australia,      (ii)   supply copies of audit reports for all New Zealand pack houses and orchards registered and licensed to export apples to Australia,      (iii)   provide details of the qualifications, skills, technical expertise and other selection criteria for the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) auditors and New Zealand third party auditors (IVA auditors) involved in establishing and verifying the eligibility of New Zealand pack houses and orchards to export apples to Australia,      (iv)   provide details of any consideration given to using the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand [JAS-ANZ] to audit and accredit the IVA auditors and processes and AQIS auditors and processes,      (v)   describe the product identification and traceability processes used in each of the pack houses registered for export of apples to Australia, including how apples can be conclusively traced back to particular orchards,      (vi)   provide details of any product reconciliation that is undertaken to verify the origin of apples from particular blocks and orchards,      (vii)   provide details of all product recall and/or product withdrawal procedures for pack houses and orchards registered for export of apples to Australia,      (viii)   provide details of the testing and verification of product recall and/or product withdrawal procedures, including details of when these procedures were last tested and the outcome of that test, for pack houses and orchards registered for export of apples to Australia,      (ix)   provide details of all compulsory inspections undertaken in orchards and pack houses by orchard/pack house staff and by IVA/AQIS inspectors and auditors for pack houses and orchards registered or wishing to become registered for export of apples to Australia,      (x)   provide copies of internal inspection records for all inspections undertaken on consignments of apples that were subsequently rejected from the export program,      (xi)   detail the specific procedures for dealing with rejected consignments of New Zealand apples when the rejection takes place:         (A)   in New Zealand, and         (B)   once apples have arrived in Australia,      (xii)   outline the specific consequences for pack houses once there has been a rejection of export apples, including steps and processes involved in re-entering the export market; and   (b)   define what constitutes a 'significant outbreak' of fire blight.(2)      That this information be available by Thursday, 6 October 2011, to allow its consideration before a Coalition delegation travels to New Zealand to investigate biosecurity and verification processes associated with the export of apples to Australia.

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

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for two minutes.

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

The Biosecurity Australia review of the conditions of the import of apples from New Zealand is one of the most scrutinised documents released by Biosecurity Australia in recent times. Industry and science had the chance to comment on the review during the consultative period and they subsequently have not raised any issues of substance to date. The government are always happy to try to meet the expectations of the opposition in providing relevant documents. In this instance, the time frame is very narrow and it is unlikely that we will be able to provide and divert resources to that task in the short period of time. On that basis, the government will oppose the motion. If the opposition wish to stick to the particular date of 6 October, I think they are only playing politics with the issue.

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for two minutes.

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I acknowledge the comments of the minister. The reason that the opposition have gone down this track is that at a private briefing that the government was good enough to provide our backbench committee a commitment was given to provide additional information which had been requested at the meeting. We were subsequently told that that information would not be made available to us. So this is the only avenue available for us to gather the information that we seek. The request to provide the information was initially made some time ago to the minister's office, I might add. The reason for the date is that a delegation of coalition members is going to New Zealand to look at the issues relating to the importation of apples from New Zealand and it would be of great assistance if this data were available for that visit. That is the basis for the date in this order for the production of documents. Had the information been freely given to us, as promised at the initial briefing, we would not be in this situation today.

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

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for two minutes.

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

I was not at the initial briefing that Senator Colbeck refers to. I am not sure of the facts. But I will certainly make sure that the facts are on the table, because I am not going to take Senator Colbeck's view of certain circumstances. However, providing the information on 6 October as requested is a significant resource requirement and I am not going to divert the department's resources to meet that date. On that basis, the government continue to oppose the motion.

Question agreed to.