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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-06-18 Daily Xml
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FREE-RANGE EGGS

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:22): My question is to the Minister for Business Services and Consumers and concerns labelling. Can the minister inform the house about plans to introduce a new regulatory standard for free-range eggs in South Australia?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (15:22): I thank the honourable member for that egg-cellent question!

Mr Pederick: Have a crack at the answer!

The SPEAKER: I will not warn the member for Hammond for that egg-cellent interjection!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Would it be unparliamentary to refer to a person as a 'yolkel'? Anyway, the Premier has spoken about the importance of ensuring that South Australian producers get the support that they need. Our premium food and wine are already globally recognised. What this government understands is that we also need to add more value to our products to maximise the premium we receive above the basic commodity price

The issue of free-range eggs has been an issue for consumer affairs and primary industry ministers across Australia for many years, but the core issue to crack is the definition of free-range. Through my role as minister responsible for the Kangaroo Island Futures Authority, I was able to meet with Mr Tom Fryar of Fryar's Kangaroo Island Free Range Eggs, a great Kangaroo Island business that operates at best practice. Mr Fryar raised a number of issues: that there is no national legal definition of free-range eggs, and producers are not meeting generally accepted standards and have been abusing the term 'free-range' for many years.

The government will develop an industry code under the Fair Trade Act. The code will allow South Australian egg producers to adhere to a standard that will result in their product being badged as truly free-range. Free-range eggs bearing the logo will allow consumers to identify them as being truly free-range eggs but also a premium product from South Australia. On 16 June I released a discussion paper seeking submissions on this idea. As a starting point—

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker. When you have finished with the Minister for Education, may I raise the point of order? The subject of the Attorney's debate, interesting and important as it is, is the subject of a bill before the house in private members' business.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: This has nothing to do with that bill.

Ms CHAPMAN: It's in relation to labelling.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: It has nothing to do with that bill.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I will listen to the Deputy Premier and perhaps the Deputy Premier, as part of his answer, will explain why it does not anticipate debate on that bill.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Exactly. Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I was saying, it is proposed that the code will require producers to meet standards including a maximum density of 1,500 hens per hectare, unrestricted access to outdoor areas during daylight hours, outdoor areas to provide adequate shelter (wind breaks, shade and suchlike), and not to permit induced moulting. As a single state, the government believes this code is the best approach.

It is good for consumers, providing assurances about what they are buying. It is good for animal welfare, providing commercial incentives for producers to adhere to true free-range standards. It is good for industry because it is giving South Australian producers a symbol to help consumers recognise them as premium and truly free-range. Legislating in South Australia will not prevent producers from other states calling their products 'free-range' and selling them here, even if that is not—

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Can I finish please?

The SPEAKER: No, apparently, you can't.

Ms CHAPMAN: Mr Speaker—

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I was asked to explain the difference between them and I am doing it.

The SPEAKER: Yes.

Ms CHAPMAN: The Attorney-General is suggesting to the house reasons why the current bill before the house wouldn't satisfy, he claims, the necessary ills to be remedied. That is not only debating what is already in the bill in the house, but using this question time as a means to raise this issue which is clearly a matter for the debate. If the Attorney wants to raise the argument as to why the legislation currently before the house is not adequate to apparently deal with this ill, then let him—

The SPEAKER: As I understand it, it was you, member for Bragg, who took the point of order and consented to my asking the Deputy Premier to explain why it wasn't anticipated debate. Of necessity, that is going to involve canvassing the merits of the unrelated bill which is before the house, so the member for Bragg invited, through me, the Deputy Premier to canvass the merits. If she now doesn't want him to canvass the merits, I will ask him to abstain from that and merely answer the question.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I would be happy to do so, Mr Speaker. I was responding to the earlier point. Now, can I get back to the point here? The important thing is this: what we will be able to do by using this logo, this branding, is stop people from interstate poaching our local brand. It is very important, so—

The SPEAKER: Deputy Premier, I am just going to ask the Clerk to start the egg timer.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Mr Speaker, thank you for restarting the egg timer.

Mr Pisoni: John, it's all scrambled up.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Look, you are making me get a bit hard boiled about this.

An honourable member: Stop cracking those dumb jokes.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I know. He's a yolker back there. Anyway, I want to commend the member for Finniss who has been very vocal on this issue. Many of the state's key free-range egg producers are, in fact, in his beautiful electorate.

The Hon. R.B. Such: And they're $8 a dozen in Melbourne if you buy them—

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Yes, and they are a bit cheaper than that here. They have been very helpful to me and the government with the development of this proposal. I also acknowledge the Hon. Tammy Franks for her support in relation to this matter. I encourage all South Australians with an interest in this very important topic to make a submission. Submissions will close on 19 July.

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