Stirling Griff (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of senators Polley, Hinch, Storer and Faruqi, move:

That the Senate:

(a) notes that:

  (i) a Nexus Research poll on behalf of Humane Research Australia found that most Australians oppose the use of animal testing for cosmetic products and ingredients, and support a national ban on the sale of cosmetics tested on animals,

  (ii) nearly 40 countries around the world have already banned cosmetics animal testing and the sale or import of newly animal-tested cosmetics, including the world's largest cosmetics markets in the European Union, Norway, Switzerland, Israel and India,

  (iii) there is strong cross-party support for a ban on cosmetics cruelty – the Australian Greens, the Australian Labor Party, the Centre Alliance, and Derryn Hinch's Justice Party have all committed to a complete ban on animal testing for cosmetics, and the Government announced its own commitment during the 2016 election, and the Australian public and animal protection campaigners, including #BeCrueltyFree Australia, welcomed these commitments,

  (iv) the ban, as currently proposed in the Industrial Chemicals Bill 2017 and draft Industrial Chemicals (General) Rules 2018, should be strengthened to ensure that the ban fully prohibits the use of new data on cosmetic ingredients which are derived from animal tests, and

  (v) the 2017-18 Budget stated that the Government would provide funding to implement its election commitment, and would "ban the use of new data on cosmetic ingredients which are derived from animal tests from 1 July 2018"; and

(b) urges the Federal Government to implement its election and Budget commitments to ban cosmetic testing on animals, and to ensure that no newly animal-tested cosmetic ingredients are introduced to the Australian market after the ban comes into effect.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government does not support this motion. The government's industrial chemicals legislative package delivers on our election commitment to place a ban on the use of animal test data for cosmetics, in line with the European Union approach. We will continue to work constructively with the opposition and crossbench to see that these bills are passed. However, the government does not support any amendments to the primary legislation, which would take the measures beyond the EU model. The EU permanent representative to Australia has confirmed EU support for the bills as they currently stand. It is up to the Senate to now deal with the bills, and the government would urge all senators to support the measures in their current form.

Question agreed to.