The Nationals have accused Agriculture Minister Julie Collins of neglecting to consult the Scientific Advisory Group when she announced the lifting of a ban on beef imports from the United States. A review by the Inspector-General of Biosecurity, released on March 28, suggested that the Department of Agriculture should revisit the role of this advisory group and enhance its capacity to obtain independent expert input as needed.
In response to the review, the Department acknowledged the importance of the Scientific Advisory Group in validating its scientific assessments and committed to reassessing its function to ensure its effectiveness.
Nationals Leader David Littleproud stressed that it appears Collins either ignored or rejected the Inspector-General’s advice to consult the group, calling the decision alarming in terms of Australia’s biosecurity. He demanded an explanation as to why the Minister appears to disregard crucial advice, questioning if this disregard could compromise biosecurity for the sake of political gains, such as a meeting between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and former US President Donald Trump.
The Albanese government defended its decision to lift the ban as the result of a decade-long review process, asserting it was based solely on rigorous scientific assessments rather than external pressures from Trump regarding Australia’s import restrictions.
Minister Collins maintained that the lifting of the import ban was grounded in extensive scientific analysis by her department, which she believes is proficient in biosecurity matters. Nevertheless, Littleproud has called for an independent scientific review of the import assessment to ensure thorough scrutiny, pointing out a lack of peer review in the decision-making process. This view is further supported by Cattle Australia, whose CEO highlighted the significant stakes involved, advocating for a second opinion on the matter.
In light of these controversies, the Coalition has escalated the issue by advocating for a Senate inquiry. The longstanding ban on US beef imports, instituted over 20 years ago following a serious mad cow disease outbreak, had been partially lifted in 2019 for cattle raised and slaughtered in the US but maintained for counterparts from Canada and Mexico. With the recent confirmation that the ban has now been completely removed, the debate over biosecurity and import regulations continues to intensify.