Albanese accused of selling out Australia’s strict | Australian Markets

Anthony Albanese has been accused of selling out Australia’s strict biosecurity protections as a negotiating pawn to woo Donald Trump amid his tariffs regime.

The US President had singled out Australian beef back in April when rolling out his “Liberation Day” tariff plan.

Despite the restrictions angering Mr Trump, the Prime Minister had vowed he wouldn’t loosen or compromise biosecurity guidelines to secure tariff exemption.

But on Thursday — 113 days later — the Australian Government confirmed it might elevate an import ban on beef raised in different nations however slaughtered within the US.

While US raised beef may enter Australia since 2019, beef grown elsewhere — normally Canada or Mexico — was banned because of issues over its traceability.

Nationals chief David Littleproud accused the PM of “trading away” biosecurity to repair troubled US relations, whereas Senator Bridget McKenzie sarcastically labelled the timing as “absolutely exquisite.”

“The timing is exquisite… to lift the ban just in time to meet President Trump’s demands,” she mentioned.

Trade Minister Don Farrell shot down skepticism across the timing of the Department of Agriculture’s discovering that US beef was truthful sport for importation.

“There’s nothing suspicious about this at all,” Senator Farrell informed Sky on Thursday.

“It’s been a 10-year process. The officials at the Agriculture Department have decided that it is appropriate now. This is not a process that’s started since the election of President Trump.”

But the transfer fuelled a victory lap within the US, with US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins publishing a assertion titled “Make Agriculture Great Again Trade Wins”.

“It’s absurd that non-scientific trade barriers prevented our beef from being sold to consumers in Australia for the last 20 years,” she mentioned.

“This is yet another example of the kind of market access the President negotiates to bring America into a new golden age of prosperity.”

America’s National Cattlemen’s Beef Association additionally tied Australia’s relation immediately with Mr Trump’s tariffs strain: “NCBA is proud to work with the President to expand markets and fix unfair trade deals”.

It got here as Mr Albanese confronted strain in Parliament Question Time for nonetheless not securing a face-to-face with the US President after he was left high-and-dry in June on the sidelines of the G7 in Canada.

Debate throughout the aisle grew to become so fiery between Mr Littleproud and Agriculture Minister Julie Collins, Speaker Milton Dick intervened and remarked to the riled up MPs — “I don’t know why this is so controversial”.

Mr Littleproud had earlier known as for transparently on scientific-assessment behind the comfort, saying a Departmental briefing had “raised more questions than answers”.

“I want to see the science. I’m suspicious by the speed in which this has been done,” Mr Littleproud mentioned, and known as for an unbiased panel to review the choice.

“It’s important that the government is very transparent.

“It looks as though it has been traded away to appease Donald Trump — and that’s what we don’t want.”

While Ms Collins agreed to briefings for industry and Opposition, she mentioned it might be “unusual” to make the reasoning public.

“That is not what is done, usually,” she informed reporters in Canberra.

Myalup beef producer and WAFarmers livestock president Geoff Pearson additionally mentioned he would “like to see the detail in the science” and questioned the politics behind the transfer.

“You could call it a political pathway to negotiation into the tariff and the first introduction Albanese has got with Trump,” he mentioned.

South West’s Unison Limousin stud co-principles Sue and Kevin Nettleton expressed wariness on the determination, saying illness would “break a farmer’s heart” and livelihood.

“It has a potential catastrophic effect. If disease comes into Australia they’ll have a catastrophic effect on Australia’s reputation as a clean, green provider of red meat, Mr Nettleton said.

Ms Nettleton questioned “why would you risk it?” when the importation of US beef to Australia is small.

“Is the beef industry the sacrificial lamb?,” the Boyanup farmer mentioned.

WA farmer and Pastoralists and Graziers Association president Tony Seabrook raised issues concerning the traceability of beef imported from the US, saying Foot and Mouth Disease would “ruin our industry overnight”.

“How the hell would we know where it came from? You’ve only got to take it out of one box and put it in another, and you’ll never know where it came from,” he mentioned.

Mr Seabrook labelled the timing “coincidental” amid tariff talks and accused the Government of making the choice “without due consultation” with industry.

Red Meat Advisory Council chair John McKillop mentioned industry had been “relaxed” concerning the determination “as long as the science is there”.

“You always get a bit suspicious when you think that things have been pushed through, and maybe they have… or at least expedited because of the pressure from the US.

“But as long as the science is there… then as an industry, we’re relaxed about it.”

Mr McKillop mentioned a declare by the Minister on Thursday that the US and Australian provide chains had been “equivalent” wasn’t correct as a result of America doesn’t have lifelong traceability of stock.

“It’s not quite correct. They don’t have the same systems as us. We have full lifetime traceability in Australia and have had for 20 years through the Livestock Identification scheme.

“The US has failed to implement such a system.”

Australian Pork Limited boss Margo Andrae mentioned Australia “must not allow trade pressure to override the science, animal welfare standards and food security”.

It was a view echoed by National Farmers’ Federation president David Jochinke, who mentioned “tariff negotiations” ought to be faraway from any dialog on biosecurity.

“(It) should be dealt with separate from any tariff negotiations,” he mentioned.

While The Australian Lot Feeders’ Association Christian Mulders mentioned Australia had “rightly undertaken” an evaluation after America’s 2020 request and was happy with the federal government’s assurance on US controls.

Mr Mulders mentioned that “so long as it meets our import requirements” he wasn’t against imports, including that the affiliation was a free trade advocate.