Nationals call for Senate inquiry into decision to resume US beef imports
Last week it was announced biosecurity controls on US beef would be lifted, including beef sourced from Canada or Mexico and slaughtered in the US.
Nationals leader and Shadow Agriculture Minister David Littleproud says the Coalition wants the Senate inquiry to provide transparency around the decision.
It wants to get cross-party support from the Greens to launch an inquiry by the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee.
Mr Littleproud said the government's decision to allow all US beef imports for the first time since 2019 was about "getting Anthony Albanese a meeting with President Trump without looking at the proper scientific reasons nor process".
He said an inquiry was necessary after it was revealed an Inspector-General of Biosecurity review released in March called for independent scientific advice on import risk assessments.
The Inspector-General of Biosecurity is an independent, statutory officer appointed by the government, a role held by former agriculture veterinarian Lloyd Klumpp.
Dr Klumpp's March review found the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) "should review the role of the scientific advisory group focusing on … expanding the group's role to provide technical oversight for non-regulated import risk analyses".
He also found import risk analyses were "more developed and consistent in plant biosecurity compared to animal biosecurity".
His review noted that if the scientific advisory group provided more high-level technical oversight it would address concerns raised by stakeholders involved with imports and achieve trade outcomes that aligned with the Biosecurity Act, thus safeguarding Australia's biosecurity status.
Mr Littleproud accused the government of ignoring its own independent biosecurity advice, despite DAFF accepting that recommendation.
He said, in a briefing, the government was unable to offer any information about its import protocols or how the department would mitigate biosecurity risk.
"On the day they announced they're going to allow this beef to come in, they had not done the work to provide the [biosecurity] protocol on the way in which that beef could be bought in this country," Mr Littleproud said.
"They could not tell me the traceability model that they would have for these cattle that originated in Mexico," he said.
"That says to me the department is catching up on the [government's] deal."
Labor's Agriculture Minister Julie Collins was contacted for comment.
Over the weekend Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused the Nationals of politicising biosecurity.
"The agency that looked at this, the department, independently of government, this wasn't a political decision," Mr Albanese said.
"They looked at it [and] said they've satisfied the requirements."
The Greens were contacted for comment. A spokesperson said they're yet to see the proposed inquiry details.
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