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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-11-28 Daily Xml
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ANIMAL WELFARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:56): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation a question on the topic of the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee report.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: I note that the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee report was tabled in this place this week. Under the highlights of the report it states that a code of practice for the humane destruction of wombats has been developed and, indeed, a code of practice for the keeping of security dogs in South Australia has been developed and endorsed and will be published on the website. The report also mentions that AWAC reviews and formulates position statements and policies, but I note that none of these documents appear to currently be on the website. So, I ask the minister two questions:

1. Can he advise when these codes and, indeed, other position statements and policy documents will appear on the website?

2. More extensively, can you also advise the council whether or not the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee was requested to provide an opinion to the minister about the likely animal welfare implications of reforms to free-range egg labelling in the past year?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:58): No and no.

The Hon. T.A. Franks interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The honourable member asked me could I advise her, and I don't have that before me so the answer is no and no, but what I can talk about, and it is kind of important, I suppose, is the—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: No, it's them that always ask the wrong ministers. Let me say again—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: Don't upset him, he's got his happy tie on.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I do. Mr President, if I can get to the key issues that really should be raised today, it is the massive slashing of the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee by the federal commonwealth government. The commonwealth government announced on 8 November 2013 that 21 advisory groups have been dissolved.

The Hon. T.A. Franks interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The honourable member says, 'Can you tell me when it's going on the website?' No, I don't push the button that puts things up on the website. I don't know because it is not my direct responsibility. She asked me the question, 'When will it go up?' I can't tell her. I can ask the question but I don't have that advice before me right now. What she should be asking, and what members of this chamber fail to ask time and time again, is what the commonwealth is doing behind closed doors, because they do not do media anymore. The commonwealth government said, 'No, no, we're not talking to the media anymore. If you're lucky, we'll have one weekly media conference where we'll tell you what you want to know, but not really.'

What this commonwealth government has done in relation to animal welfare is that they have sacked them all. On 8 November 2013, 21 advisory groups have been dissolved by the commonwealth government, including the Australian Animal Welfare Advisory Group, and the functions of these groups will be taken over by other agencies. No information was provided prior to the announcement—fait accompli!

The AAWAG performed a valuable role in overseeing implementation of a national Australian Animal Welfare Strategy and brought together government, industry and animal welfare advocacy representatives with experts—not necessarily scientists because, if they were scientists, they would have been for the high jump on day one—from all animal welfare fields. South Australia is bitterly disappointed that a valuable group of stakeholders has been disbanded without consultation.

We will be seeking a clear direction from the commonwealth as soon as possible, I am advised, about how they will ensure that stakeholders and experts—experts, not scientists, because scientists now are taken out and shot by the federal government. Their opinions do not matter anymore, science does not matter anymore in Australia, according to the new federal Liberal government, and scientists with opinions, certainly are not welcome to give their advice on policy debates in this country anymore, according to the federal Liberal government.

We will be seeking assurances that the commonwealth is still fully committed to the national strategy and its implementation, but I cannot say with any great confidence that the federal Liberal government is committed because they have just sacked all of the bodies that might have given them any particular advice.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: Wasting time, Mr President.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: You'll get your shot in a minute, Brokey. In terms of egg labelling—

The PRESIDENT: Is there a point of order?

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: There is a point of order, Mr President: the Hon. Robert Brokenshire is not to be referred to as Brokey but the Hon. Robert Brokenshire.

The PRESIDENT: Minister, I did not hear it, so would you please refer to Brokey as the Hon. Mr Brokenshire.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Suitably chastised. I do not enjoyed flogging him as much as the Hon. Mr Ridgway does, but I am suitably chastised in my inappropriate and intemperate language. I shall refer to him in the future as the Hon. Brokey! In relation to egg-labelling situations, which I think the honourable member asked about as well, the South Australian government recognises that consumers want truth in labelling.

The Hon. T.J. Stephens: It's not an answer to the actual question.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Thank you. As members would be aware, there is not a national enforceable standard for free-range eggs, and members may well be aware that the Queensland Liberal National Party government has just put an absolute shaft right through their legislation and said, 'We're going to define free range now as up to 10,000 chickens per hectare,' and that is absolutely outrageous, but that is an indication of what the Liberals stand for. They do not pay any attention to what the consumers want, they do not pay any attention to what farmers want, they do not pay any attention whatsoever to scientists or expert advisory opinion: they know best.

As members would be aware, this government has been working hard with other jurisdictions to try to work towards a national and federally consistent approach to egg labelling. The egg industry in South Australia is a small part of a national industry. South Australia produces only about 40 per cent of its required egg demand, I am advised, and significant numbers of interstate free-range eggs are sold in South Australia—well, labelled as free range. The reason a national enforceable approach is so important is that we can legislate here but it is not binding on other jurisdictions, and eggs from other states can be sold as free-range eggs, leading to further confusion for the consumer.

Given that a national enforceable approach has not been agreed, I am pleased that my colleague the Minister for Business Services and Consumers recently announced that South Australia will establish a voluntary industry code. We will do it ourselves. This industry code will benefit both free-range egg producers in South Australia and consumers, who have been confused about the way in which eggs are labelled, particularly the free-range definition—and with what the Queensland Liberal National Party government is doing, can you blame them for being confused? They obfuscate, at any opportunity, truth in labelling. They will not advise consumers of what they are getting in their free-range eggs, but this South Australian government will stand up for consumers at every turn.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Thank you. The Hon. Michelle Lensink recognises the leadership of the Hon. Jay Weatherill, Premier of this state. He will stand up for South Australians when the Liberals fail us all.

Free-range egg production systems enable hens to have access to an outdoor range, we all know that. However, there is no single consistent standard for what constitutes a free-range egg production system, as evidenced by a variety of standards and various quality schemes which are currently being run down by the Liberal Party in Queensland.

Organisations with existing codes or standards include the International Humane Society, the RSPCA, Biological Farmers of Australia, the Victorian Farmers Federation and Free Range Egg and Poultry Australia. However, sir, if they ever have an expert view or, indeed, employ scientists, they will not be listened to by the federal Liberal government either. In South Australia protection of consumer rights is managed by the Attorney-General under state consumer legislation—and he is doing a fantastic job at it, may I say.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Franks; with a supplementary or a point of order?

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