FOOD REGULATION

The Hon. M. PARNELL (15:07): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries a question about national food regulation.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: On 28 March, I asked the minister whether it was the minister's choice not to be a member of the National Legislative and Governance Forum on Food Regulation. If members recall, this forum is the pre-eminent national body for setting food policy, and it is made up of health and agriculture ministers from the commonwealth, New Zealand and the states and territories. However, unlike the commonwealth, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, our state of South Australia is represented only by the Minister for Health. In response to my question, the minister replied:

This is a very sore point indeed, and one that I have been attempting to address. In fact, I feel most strongly that as minister for primary industries I should be a member of that forum. I currently am not. I have written and requested that that be addressed. If I recall, I believe I have received correspondence back from the federal government representatives who denied my membership. I had then intended to take that up through the Premier and insist on it.

It is quite outrageous; as I said, it is quite a sore point. It is outrageous that both ministers here in South Australia are not represented. There are distinct policy issues that are most relevant to both portfolio areas, and I feel most strongly that I should be a member of it, and I believe I have quite a lot to contribute as well. So, it is something I am pursuing and will continue to pursue most vigorously.

That was the minister's answer. I was very encouraged by her answer; however, when I reviewed the formal operating procedures of this ministerial council, it shows that ministers other than the Minister for Health may participate if they are nominated by their jurisdiction. There is no mention of a procedure for accepting or denying nominations and there is no mention of any federal veto over who can represent the state. In fact, the actual words are:

Membership of the forum comprises a minister from New Zealand and health ministers from Australian states and territories, the Australian government, as well as other ministers from related portfolios (primary industries, consumer affairs, etc)—

and here are the words—

where these have been nominated by their jurisdictions. This ensures a whole-of-food chain approach to food safety regulation.

My questions to the minister are:

1. Do you stand by the answer you gave on 28 March that South Australia has requested your membership on this forum but has been knocked back by federal government representatives?

2. If so, did South Australia formally nominate you to attend, and what form did this nomination take?

3. Which federal minister or agency declined South Australia's nomination?

4. What was the explanation given by the federal government representatives for rejecting South Australia's nomination?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:10): I thank the honourable member for his question and his attention to detail. The honourable member is quite correct: I sought membership of this group and, while I cannot remember exactly, I think my correspondence from my office went through to the secretariat of the group—but I can double-check that. I received correspondence back from, I believe, the secretariat that said that I had to be formally nominated by the government; basically, from the Premier.

I have since written to the Premier and outlined the requirement that the nomination has to formally come from him. I believe that correspondence has gone off and that that is in the pipeline. So the honourable member is quite right, and I was informed that my attempts to virtually nominate myself, if you like, was not the process, that I was not able to do that, and was informed what the correct process was. That is in place, and I am looking forward to being in attendance at the next meeting.