Senator O'BRIEN (2:54 PM) —My question is to Senator Alston, representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Minister, isn't it a fact that today's announcement by the minister for agriculture to defer moves to allow New Zealand apples into Australia is just another stunt by the government to get an issue off the political agenda until after the next election? While on the subject of that particular import risk assessment, why did the minister choose to follow a simple, routine risk assessment process—which is typically followed when the analysis is technically simple and where quarantine risks are not considered to be significant—when that process was clearly not appropriate in relation to New Zealand apples? Isn't it a fact that there was almost unanimous opposition to the approach taken by the minister from industry and government bodies but he chose to ignore that opposition?

Senator ALSTON (Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) —As Senator O'Brien would be aware, there have been a number of public submissions on this issue, and Biosecurity Australia has been undertaking an import risk analysis in relation to the importation of New Zealand apples. A number of those submissions have raised key scientific issues of concern and that is why the minister has announced that the ban will remain in place until those issues have been addressed. He certainly welcomed the announcement by the Director of Quarantine of an open public process to assess the key issues involved in New Zealand's application for market access for apples following the closure of objectives to the draft import risk analysis on New Zealand last week. If Senator O'Brien is saying that we should simply go off half-cocked without knowing the full nature and extent of the concerns and without properly testing the key scientific issues, that is not the way we operate.

Honourable senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! There is an appropriate time to debate this issue and it is not during the minister's answer.

Senator ALSTON —The government support a consultative process which will give all the key stakeholders the opportunity to have a serious input, enabling the government to come to a sensible and considered conclusion about the significance of those key issues. That does involve the presentation and examination of detailed scientific evidence. There will be a discussion paper circulated to interested parties and a number of workshops will be held to examine and clarify these issues. If the opposition wants to suggest that we should just make a decision on the run and that we should treat these submissions as somehow not matters worthy of proper and detailed examination then, again, that is not the way that we operate.

Opposition senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! There are far too many senators interjecting.

Senator ALSTON —The whole thrust of the opposition's approach seems to be: `Don't worry about concerns expressed. Treat them as irrelevant, self-interested or somehow unjustified. Don't bother doing your homework; just get out there and get on with it.' We are not prepared to put Australia's safety at risk. We are not prepared to run quarantine risks. We know the dangers that can occur in a whole raft of areas. This is an important issue that deserves to be taken seriously. If additional research is necessary then we will conduct an independent inquiry by reputable scientists with the results being made available to all stakeholders.

We very much understand that there is strong public interest in the draft import risk analysis, and the usual process will be varied to ensure a further comprehensive assessment of possible quarantine risks. The government stand by our conservative quarantine standards and we will require the import risk analysis to cover all major scientific issues thoroughly. Mr Truss will be meeting with his New Zealand counterpart later this week to discuss a range of bilateral issues, including the market access request for apples. The New Zealand government can be assured that Australia will continue to assess its application on its scientific merits. At the same time, the government expect Biosecurity Australia to address all the substantial scientific issues, regardless of how long that might take.

Senator O'BRIEN —Madam President, I ask a supplementary question. I remind the minister that the thrust of my question was that this process was fundamentally flawed from the start, not that we should go off half-cocked. Is the minister aware that the government's total mishandling of the import risk assessment process for New Zealand apples has not only imposed enormous and unnecessary costs on the Australian apple and pear industry but also caused growers a great deal of concern and distress?

Senator ALSTON (Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) —The fundamental premise of the question is wrong. We have not totally mishandled it, and therefore the question does not require any further answer.