5. RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Trade
What action is New Zealand currently taking to secure access for New Zealand apples into the Australian market?
Hon PHIL GOFF (Minister of Trade) Link to this
New Zealand yesterday raised the issue of apple access into Australia at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures in Geneva. This is the third time that we have taken the matter up at that committee and received strong support from others, such as the United States. Today New Zealand has forwarded a formal submission to Biosecurity Australia in response to its draft import risk assessment. In both cases New Zealand has strongly and clearly demonstrated why Australia’s proposed quarantine measures are not scientifically justified and must be changed.
Russell Fairbrother Link to this
What consultation was undertaken in putting together the submission to Biosecurity Australia, and does it have the support of New Zealand’s industry body?
The submission is a detailed and technically rigorous 102-page document drafted by Biosecurity New Zealand in close consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The industry body Pipfruit New Zealand was closely involved in its drafting and is supportive of the submission. The submission expresses the significant concerns of both the Government and industry about the conditions that have been proposed for our apples’ access.
R Doug WoolertonHow is it that this course of action was not followed years ago, like when National was the Government?
National members, who tend to be lions in Opposition, were lambs when they were in Government. I think the then Minister of Trade said that he did not think that the WTO was the appropriate area. I know that nothing actually happened under the National Government on this issue for 9 years.
Craig FossDoes the Minister agree with the Australian Apple Access Group, which had in its submission on the draft import risk assessment that the final import risk assessment report be released by 30 June 2006, and, if this date is not achieved, what action will he take?
I have seen that from the apples action group. That group knows, of course, that the timing is in the hands of Biosecurity Australia; it is not in our hands. It is possible, of course, at any time to take this matter to the WTO disputes process. The difficulty is that the moment we do that the import risk assessment process would stop immediately and the WTO process, I am advised, would take 3 to 6 years, so we would be shooting ourselves in the foot to do what that member is implying we should.