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Thursday, 14 February 2013
Page: 1394

Mr CLARE (Blaxland—Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Justice and Cabinet Secretary) (09:38): I thank all members for their contribution to the debate. The Customs Amendment (Anti-Dumping Commission) Bill 2013 establishes the Australian Anti-Dumping Commission, which was the principal recommendation of the review into antidumping arrangements last year by the Hon. John Brumby, the former Premier of Victoria. The fact that this bill passes this chamber today, less than three months after the report was released, is a credit to the diligence, the hard work and the professionalism of the policy team at the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service. I take this opportunity to thank them for all their hard work in preparing this legislation for our consideration.

Throughout the course of the debate, a number of members of the opposition made the argument that this legislation and the establishment of an Australian Anti-Dumping Commission is Liberal Party policy. That is just not correct. I need to take this opportunity in reply to correct the record. I have a copy here of the coalition's policy on antidumping and at page 2 of that policy document, it says:

1. Transfer anti-dumping responsibilities from Customs to the Department of Industry

We—

that is, the coalition—

will make the Department of Industry responsible for Australia’s anti-dumping regime.

That is not what this bill does. The bill does not transfer this responsibility to the department of industry; it creates a new agency, the Australian Anti-Dumping Commission, which is established inside Customs. It is very different. It is not the same thing and it is not correct to say that in this chamber.

Over the past 18 months, four tranches of legislation have been passed through the parliament. Together they represent the biggest reforms to our antidumping system in a decade. This legislation is the fifth of those tranches. The establishment of an Anti-Dumping Commission that is well resourced, with the extra funds that have been allocated by this government, over $24 million, is an important part of this reform program. It will help deliver stronger protection for Australian industry against unfair competition from overseas and help support Australian jobs that are put at risk by products that are dumped into Australia. Therefore, I have great pleasure, in commending this legislation to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.