Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to ask a question of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Watt. Minister, the emergence and rapid spread of foot-and-mouth disease in Indonesia has heightened public and industry interest. FMD is a potentially devastating threat to our economy and our industry and would cost billions of dollars. Can the minister please outline to the Senate the biosecurity measures that have been strengthened and introduced in Australia by the minister and the Albanese government to protect Australia from an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Ciccone. I know that agriculture in general and particularly this outbreak are of great concern to you. So I appreciate you asking a question asking for the facts of the situation. The Albanese government is taking the threat of foot-and-mouth disease very seriously. That is why we have introduced the toughest biosecurity measures that have ever been introduced in Australia, based on expert biosecurity advice. I am pleased to say that, as a result of these measures, Australia remains foot-and-mouth disease free. You might not know that based on what you are hearing from the opposition, but we remain foot-and-mouth disease free. And long may it stay that way because an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Australia would have a devastating impact on our economy and on the livelihoods of thousands of Australians.

In direct response to the spread of foot-and-mouth disease to Indonesia and in particular to Bali, we have strengthened biosecurity measures beyond those that were in place under the former government to protect Australia from a foot-and-mouth disease incursion. These include, for the first time ever, wide-scale deployment of sanitation foot mats in every international airport in Australia and, for the first time ever, the declaration of biosecurity response zones in all Australian international airports. These things have never been done by any Australian government, despite the fact that we currently have 70 foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks around the world. There are so many measures that I don't have time to go through them, but that is just a start on the types of things that we are doing in addition to risk-profiling 100 per cent of passengers returning from Indonesia and screening all mail and freight items coming from Indonesia and China.

So it's no surprise that those measures have been backed in so strongly by the livestock industry. For instance, Jason Strong, from Meat and Livestock Australia, says the federal government's response to date has been 'very coordinated and collaborative'. Patrick Hutchinson, from the Australian Meat Industry Council, has said 'AMIC is very supportive of the Australian government's measured response.' Fiona Simson, from the NFF, has said the same thing. There are innumerable comments from industry. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ciccone, a first supplementary question?

Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I really thank the minister for that comprehensive and detailed answer to my question. In addition to the recent outbreak in Indonesia—as you mentioned in your answer, Minister—there are outbreaks in over 70 countries around the world. But what assistance have you and this government provided to our friends and neighbours in Indonesia to assist them to manage the outbreak?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Ciccone. Foot-and-mouth disease obviously is heavily impacting Indonesia and its economy right now. Again, I might say that it was impacting Indonesia prior to the election of this government and prior to the introduction of the measures that we have put in place. With this government's assistance, Indonesian authorities are doing many things to get the outbreak under control. On 15 July I announced a $14 million biosecurity package to bolster Australia's front-line technical defence and provide more technical support for countries currently battling foot-and-mouth disease and lumpy skin disease. Of course, that followed the visit that I undertook to Indonesia to meet with Indonesian ministers about how we could assist.

Again, it's no wonder then that so many industry representatives have praised the government for what we've done and it's no wonder that so many industry representatives have criticised commentary about this issue which has been more political than anything else. Ian McColl, from the New South Wales Farmers Association, says, 'I see some people out there using this outbreak as a weapon to further their own ends, and frankly it's pretty disappointing.' I wonder who he could be talking about.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister Watt. Senator Ciccone, a second supplementary?

Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's very clear that foot-and-mouth disease, along with other diseases and pests, poses a major risk to Australian agriculture. So my last question to the minister today is: could you please outline to the Senate how the government's response to biosecurity threats differs from that of the previous government?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Ciccone—a very, very good question. The coalition are full of ideas now that they're in opposition, but when they were in power they didn't implement any of the measures that we have put in place, despite the fact that this outbreak got to Indonesia on their watch. This government has done more on biosecurity in nine weeks than that lot did in nine years. Everyone, from the National Farmers Federation to the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association and AgForce in Queensland, is supporting the government and criticising the opposition. Mr McColl, from the NSW Farmers Association, had more to say:

Farmers have argued for stronger, sustainably-funded biosecurity systems for years – this isn't something that's just happened overnight.

… Fanning the flames of fear will not help one little bit.

Who could be fanning the flames? I wonder who could be doing that. Oh, Deidre Chambers—she's over there! He's over there! Every single person on the opposition benches is fanning the flames of concern, is letting down farmers and is endangering our international trade. (Time expired)