❓ Hon Lynn MacLaren questions the Minister for Agriculture and Food regarding free-range egg labelling and stocking densities, seeking to ensure consumers are informed and truth in labelling is enforced. The Minister supports an industry-driven, nationally consistent approach.
AnsweredQoN 305Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
FREE-RANGE EGG INDUSTRY — STOCKING
DENSITY
305. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the minister representing the
Minister for Agriculture and Food:
(1) I refer to the minister's
response to part (5) of my question on notice 5219. Do consumers have the right
to be informed about the stocking density that applies to eggs labelled ''free
range''?
(2) What should be done to enable consumers
to make an informed choice about which so-called free-range eggs they would
prefer to buy?
(3) How does the
minister propose that this truth in labelling be promoted and enforced?
DENSITY
305. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the minister representing the
Minister for Agriculture and Food:
(1) I refer to the minister's
response to part (5) of my question on notice 5219. Do consumers have the right
to be informed about the stocking density that applies to eggs labelled ''free
range''?
(2) What should be done to enable consumers
to make an informed choice about which so-called free-range eggs they would
prefer to buy?
(3) How does the
minister propose that this truth in labelling be promoted and enforced?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable
member for some notice of the question.
(1) Yes. Consumers have the right to be
informed about the conditions under which the food they purchase has been
produced.
(2) Market-driven approaches to consumer
values in food labelling issues are likely to be more responsive to consumer
needs than regulatory approaches. It is not my intent to legislate to restrict
densities for free-range egg production but, rather, to support the local
industry to continue to improve animal welfare and labelling, clarity for
consumers, and to support nationally consistent change and improvement.
(3) The federal Standing Committee on
Primary Industries and Regional Services has agreed to work with industry to
achieve a nationally consistent, industry-driven approach to labelling
free-range eggs that provides meaningful information to consumers. The minister
will support the committee process.
member for some notice of the question.
(1) Yes. Consumers have the right to be
informed about the conditions under which the food they purchase has been
produced.
(2) Market-driven approaches to consumer
values in food labelling issues are likely to be more responsive to consumer
needs than regulatory approaches. It is not my intent to legislate to restrict
densities for free-range egg production but, rather, to support the local
industry to continue to improve animal welfare and labelling, clarity for
consumers, and to support nationally consistent change and improvement.
(3) The federal Standing Committee on
Primary Industries and Regional Services has agreed to work with industry to
achieve a nationally consistent, industry-driven approach to labelling
free-range eggs that provides meaningful information to consumers. The minister
will support the committee process.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.