The new leader of the Nationals, David Littleproud, is demanding more transparency. He is seeking an explanation from Australia’s government for its recent announcement that it will resume imports of US beef. This is the first time since 2019 that Australia has removed restrictions on all US beef. The move presents serious biosecurity concerns, he argues. Littleproud’s call for an inquiry is a hopeful first step. This follows accusations that the government overruled its own scientific advice when taking this decision.
Littleproud’s concerns are rooted in the safety of Australia’s biosecurity status. He argues that the federal government’s approval decision was arbitrary and capricious because it failed to consider or disclose the risks it was taking. In March, an Inspector-General of Biosecurity review found the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) severely lacking. The review called for a thorough independent scientific evaluation of import risk assessments to rectify these problems. Labor’s Chris Littleproud says that the government isn’t responding enough to these findings.
Call for Cross-Party Support
In his attempts to start an inquiry, Littleproud is looking for cross-party support, which means support from the Greens. Ahmed is hell bent on kicking off an inquiry. The government’s decision-making process will come under fierce scrutiny from the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee.
As Littleproud touched upon, public opposition to these changes will be crucial. He stated, “Every Australian should be worried about this. This is protecting us from diseases like tuberculosis and from mad cow disease.” He’s confident that in-depth investigation would go a long way towards finding out why Australia’s very biosecurity measures are being undermined.
Furthermore, Littleproud criticized the government for its handling of the situation, stating, “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.” For instance, he raised particular alarm about the traceability models for cattle being imported from Mexico. He asked how the government intends to track such animals after they have already entered Australia.
Government’s Response
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese then hit back at Littleproud’s concern by accusing the Nationals of making biosecurity issues political. He stood by the decision, claiming it had been made on the backs of impartial assessments carried out by DAFF. “The agency that looked at this, the department, independently of government, this wasn’t a political decision,” Albanese remarked. He added, “They looked at it [and] said they’ve satisfied the requirements.”
Despite Albanese’s assurances, Littleproud remains skeptical. He contends that the department is just “making up for the government’s promise.” Taken together, this indicates that in this case political motivations triumphed over scientific recommendations.
