❓ Mr. Papalia questions the Minister for Agriculture and Food about the sale and destination of GM canola grown in WA, particularly regarding its potential entry into the local food chain. The Minister's response is evasive, leading to heated exchanges.
AnsweredQoN 200Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
genetically
modified CANOLA
200. Mr P. PAPALIA to the Minister for Agriculture and
Food:
I refer to today's media reports of falling GM canola prices as
a result of European markets rejecting GM canola because Europe does not want
GM products to enter its food chain.
(1) Is it true that GM canola grown as part
of the Barnett government trials was not purchased by any export market and was
eventually sold to Riverland Oilseeds in Pinjarra?
(2) Can the minister confirm whether
Riverland processed the Barnett government GM canola and sold the resultant
canola meal into the WA animal feed market?
(3) Can the minister tell Western Australian
consumers whether Barnett government GM products went into their food,
including children's food, via dairy and poultry products?
modified CANOLA
200. Mr P. PAPALIA to the Minister for Agriculture and
Food:
I refer to today's media reports of falling GM canola prices as
a result of European markets rejecting GM canola because Europe does not want
GM products to enter its food chain.
(1) Is it true that GM canola grown as part
of the Barnett government trials was not purchased by any export market and was
eventually sold to Riverland Oilseeds in Pinjarra?
(2) Can the minister confirm whether
Riverland processed the Barnett government GM canola and sold the resultant
canola meal into the WA animal feed market?
(3) Can the minister tell Western Australian
consumers whether Barnett government GM products went into their food,
including children's food, via dairy and poultry products?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
I thank the member for the question. It
is the first question that I think I have got from this member since he has
been the shadow minister, which is fantastic to see. It caught me well and
truly by surprise.
There was a range of points to the member's question. The first
referred to information out of Europe on how it treats GM canola.
Mr P. Papalia : No. The first question was: is it true that
the GM canola that you didn't sell overseas was sold into the Western
Australian market via Riverland Oilseeds?
Dr K.D. Hames : It was his preamble.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes, it might have been the preamble that I
picked up.
Mr P. Papalia : Just answer the question.
The SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, you have had the chance to repeat it.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will answer the question to the best of
my knowledge. In terms of where the product is sold, I do not trace or track
where the market sells its products. The Liberal–National government
made the decision to allow farmers in Western Australia the option of growing
GM canola.
Mr P. Papalia : Are you the food minister?
Mr D.T. REDMAN : Can I make the point, please? They will not
grow something that they cannot sell.
Mr P. Papalia : Are you the food minister?
The SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro!
Mr P. Papalia : Is it Agriculture and Food or just
Agriculture?
The SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, if you want to ask a question, you have that
opportunity in here. I am not going to give you the opportunity at this moment
to continue to interject before the minister has endeavoured to answer the
first part of your question. I formally call you to order for the first time
today.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : Farmers simply will not grow what they
cannot sell. What we have allowed them to do —
Mr P. Papalia : What about Western Australian consumers?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I formally call you to order for the second time
today.
Mr J.J.M. Bowler : For God's sake! It's a
joke!
The SPEAKER : Member for Kalgoorlie, I am on my feet; I am sure you can see me from
there. I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Mr
D.T. REDMAN : We have allowed farmers to have the choice of growing GM
canola in Western Australia. It has been approved federally; it has been grown
internationally for more than 15 years. We made the decision to allow them to
have that choice. They will not grow something that they cannot sell. They
choose to grow something that clearly fits in with how they manage their farms.
It is also not just about price. A lot of people have been talking to me about
what price they can get for it. It is also about their farming system, weed
control, management and so on. They will make those decisions themselves. They
are very, very good businesspeople and they can do that. I do not know what went
to Riverland Oilseeds. That will be up to the farmers if they choose that
company as a market. The member asked me whether the meal from that—that
is, what is left once the oil has been crushed from the canola—goes
into the local market. The answer is that I do not know. However, I will make
this point. The member mentioned in his preamble the significance of Europe and
its position on GM products. It is really interesting that a whole heap of
soybean meal gets sold into Europe every year for stockfeed. Whilst we have
this understanding that Europe has a sensitivity to GM products, it still buys
significant quantities of soybean meal from international markets to go into
its marketplace. People also view Japan as a country that is sensitised to GM,
yet it is one of the biggest buyers of GM canola in the world. In terms of what
is happening here, farmers will decide where they will sell their products.
They make those decisions; they are good businesspeople.
I will also make the point that with
respect to consumers, which was where the member's point was targeted—I
assume the inference was that consumers do not have any choice in this—we
have labelling laws, which the member's federal compatriots are in
control of and are in the process of reviewing. I assume that the opposition
has made a submission to that review on what should be in those labelling laws.
Those laws require anyone who has a product with more than one per cent
unintended GM presence to label it as such. We have labelling laws nationally
that enable consumers to identify what is in the stuff that they eat. These
products have been approved federally as being safe for the environment and for
consumers. We have allowed the farmers the choice to be able to grow it. They
are the businesspeople who will make the decisions about which markets they go
to and which markets they do not go to. I come right back to this point: if
farmers cannot sell it, they will not grow it.
I thank the member for the question. It
is the first question that I think I have got from this member since he has
been the shadow minister, which is fantastic to see. It caught me well and
truly by surprise.
There was a range of points to the member's question. The first
referred to information out of Europe on how it treats GM canola.
Mr P. Papalia : No. The first question was: is it true that
the GM canola that you didn't sell overseas was sold into the Western
Australian market via Riverland Oilseeds?
Dr K.D. Hames : It was his preamble.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes, it might have been the preamble that I
picked up.
Mr P. Papalia : Just answer the question.
The SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, you have had the chance to repeat it.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will answer the question to the best of
my knowledge. In terms of where the product is sold, I do not trace or track
where the market sells its products. The Liberal–National government
made the decision to allow farmers in Western Australia the option of growing
GM canola.
Mr P. Papalia : Are you the food minister?
Mr D.T. REDMAN : Can I make the point, please? They will not
grow something that they cannot sell.
Mr P. Papalia : Are you the food minister?
The SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro!
Mr P. Papalia : Is it Agriculture and Food or just
Agriculture?
The SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, if you want to ask a question, you have that
opportunity in here. I am not going to give you the opportunity at this moment
to continue to interject before the minister has endeavoured to answer the
first part of your question. I formally call you to order for the first time
today.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : Farmers simply will not grow what they
cannot sell. What we have allowed them to do —
Mr P. Papalia : What about Western Australian consumers?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I formally call you to order for the second time
today.
Mr J.J.M. Bowler : For God's sake! It's a
joke!
The SPEAKER : Member for Kalgoorlie, I am on my feet; I am sure you can see me from
there. I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Mr
D.T. REDMAN : We have allowed farmers to have the choice of growing GM
canola in Western Australia. It has been approved federally; it has been grown
internationally for more than 15 years. We made the decision to allow them to
have that choice. They will not grow something that they cannot sell. They
choose to grow something that clearly fits in with how they manage their farms.
It is also not just about price. A lot of people have been talking to me about
what price they can get for it. It is also about their farming system, weed
control, management and so on. They will make those decisions themselves. They
are very, very good businesspeople and they can do that. I do not know what went
to Riverland Oilseeds. That will be up to the farmers if they choose that
company as a market. The member asked me whether the meal from that—that
is, what is left once the oil has been crushed from the canola—goes
into the local market. The answer is that I do not know. However, I will make
this point. The member mentioned in his preamble the significance of Europe and
its position on GM products. It is really interesting that a whole heap of
soybean meal gets sold into Europe every year for stockfeed. Whilst we have
this understanding that Europe has a sensitivity to GM products, it still buys
significant quantities of soybean meal from international markets to go into
its marketplace. People also view Japan as a country that is sensitised to GM,
yet it is one of the biggest buyers of GM canola in the world. In terms of what
is happening here, farmers will decide where they will sell their products.
They make those decisions; they are good businesspeople.
I will also make the point that with
respect to consumers, which was where the member's point was targeted—I
assume the inference was that consumers do not have any choice in this—we
have labelling laws, which the member's federal compatriots are in
control of and are in the process of reviewing. I assume that the opposition
has made a submission to that review on what should be in those labelling laws.
Those laws require anyone who has a product with more than one per cent
unintended GM presence to label it as such. We have labelling laws nationally
that enable consumers to identify what is in the stuff that they eat. These
products have been approved federally as being safe for the environment and for
consumers. We have allowed the farmers the choice to be able to grow it. They
are the businesspeople who will make the decisions about which markets they go
to and which markets they do not go to. I come right back to this point: if
farmers cannot sell it, they will not grow it.
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