Senator Bill Heffernan, Liberal Senator for NSW announced today the establishment of a Senate inquiry into meat marketing. The Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport will look at the need for effective supervision of national standards and controls and the national harmonisation of regulations applying to the branding and marketing of meat.
The inquiry will be advertised shortly in major newspapers calling for submissions from interested stakeholders and public hearings will be scheduled. Submissions will close on 4 May 2008 and information about the inquiry can be accessed from the following website: http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/rrat_ctte/index.htm
Senator Heffernan raised his concerns in February during Senate Estimates "there is a view out there in the industry at the moment – and I am talking about the harmonisation of meat standards across Australia – that there is a racket that has developed with the replacement of lamb with hogget and the better-bodied sheep and branding the meat as lamb and sending it to Sydney, etc."
Senator Heffernan said "the Committee is prepared to receive confidential submissions so that witnesses can speak freely without fear of intimidation or retaliation; this has been flagged as a real concern from some stakeholders wishing to make a submission."
The Committee is expected to report to the Senate on or before 4 September 2008.
