Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Brown, I move:

That the following matter be referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee for inquiry and report by 1 February 2019:

The independence of regulatory decisions made by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), with particular reference to:

  (a) the responsiveness and effectiveness of the APVMA's process for reviewing and reassessing the safety of agricultural chemicals in Australia, including glyphosate, and how this compares with equivalent international regulators;

  (b) the funding arrangements of the APVMA, comparisons with equivalent agricultural chemical regulators internationally and any impact these arrangements have on independent evidence-based decision making;

  (c) the roles and responsibilities of relevant departments and agencies of Commonwealth, state and territory governments in relation to the regulation of pesticides and veterinary chemicals;

  (d) the need to ensure Australia's farmers have timely access to safe, environmentally sustainable and productivity enhancing products;

  (e) the impact of the APVMA's relocation on its capability to undertake chemical reviews in a timely manner; and

  (f) any other related matters.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) 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 International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government does not support this inquiry. The APVMA is an independent and competent regulator of agrichemicals. The government has taken steps to further protect its independence by introducing legislation to have a skills based board to protect transparency and accountability of the APVMA and its functions. Rather than waste time on an inquiry, the opposition should back the bill.

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) 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.

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We welcome this referral by Labor of the independence of the APVMA to inquiry, particularly given the massive collapse in that agency's capacity, during the relocation to Armidale, to undertake the chemical reviews that it needs to do. However, in light of the Californian court ruling and the World Health Organization's finding that glyphosate is probably carcinogenic, the fact that this inquiry will only touch on the ability of the APVMA to assess chemicals like glyphosate does not abrogate the need for an independent, transparent, science based inquiry into the safety of glyphosate.

Question agreed to.