May 24, 2004

 

 

Australian Pork Limited To Decide On Legal Challenge To Imports

 

The board of Australian Pork Limited will decide today whether to launch a legal challenge against the decision to allow pig meat imports into the country.

 

The APL board will consider legal advice as to whether it should challenge the decision to allow imports from countries that meet strict disease requirements.

 

Earlier this month the country's Director of Quarantine Michael Taylor signed off on a new policy, clearing the way for pig meat imports from 11 countries.

 

Mr Taylor has been forced to defend that decision at a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra this morning.

 

Under questioning at Senate Estimates, he told the hearing he followed the correct process when he signed the new policy for pig meat imports on May 10.

 

The policy was signed before the Senate Rural Affairs Committee had completed its inquiry into the import risk assessment for pig meat.

 

But Mr Taylor told the hearing he had followed the timetable set out in the Federal Government's guidelines.

 

"I believe that there was a very clear set of procedures that had been well published in terms of the import risk assessment.

 

"You asked about the Senate inquiry, I'd certainly gone out of my way to make sure the department provided that timetable to the Senate.

 

"The appeals framework was very clear-cut in terms of its report to me, and from my point of view it was appropriate to make the policy determination."