The Minns Labor Government has spent months stonewalling questions about a NSW Food Authority's illegal slaughter investigation. Today in Parliament, Abigail passed a motion to force the release of government documents and finally deliver the transparency this issue demands.
Abigail said:
I move:
That, under standing order 52, there be laid upon the table of the House within 21 days of the date of passing of this resolution the following documents, created since 30 June 2022, in electronic format if possible, in the possession, custody or control of the Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Regional New South Wales and Minister for Western New South Wales, the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, Minister for Gaming and Racing, Minister for Veterans, Minister for Medical Research and Minister for the Central Coast, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, NSW Food Authority, NSW Police, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Animal Welfare League, Local Land Services, Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission or Racing NSW relating to investigation or enforcement activities for food production business or retailers:
(a) all documents related to complaints, investigations or enforcement actions regarding food production business or retailers, including abattoirs, meat processors, knackeries, animal food processing plants or other related businesses;
(b) all documents related to the 2024-25 Manufacturers & Wholesalers Inspection Program, including all inspection notices, audit reports or photographs where breaches were identified;
(c) all documents relating to the 2024-25 Meat Retail Audit Project, including all inspection notices, audit reports or photographs where breaches were identified;
(d) all documents relating to the 2024-25 Plant Product Processing Audit Project, including all inspection notices, audit reports or photographs where breaches were identified;
(e) all documents relating to changes in enforcement policy or legal resourcing for the NSW Food Authority; and
(f) any legal or other advice regarding the scope or validity of this order of the House created as a result of this order of the House.
The background to the motion is that a number of matters have been raised about the annual report of the NSW Food Authority. Having become more familiar with regulatory bodies after various departments thoroughly investigated the early childhood regulatory authority, it seems to me that there is a bit of secrecy when I attempt to get information out of those bodies. I did the smart thing and asked the Minister questions on notice. I asked detailed, precise questions about the enforcement actions that were noted in the annual report. In response I got a non-response, which we are becoming familiar with. I wrote again to the Minister with more questions on notice. I told her that her answers were not answers and asked if she would please answer. I got the response "See previous answer"—another non-answer. The answer to my 20-something questions stated:
The NSW Food Authority publishes lists of businesses that have breached or are alleged to have breached NSW food safety laws …
On that basis, I find myself with no alternative but to lodge a Standing Order 52 call for papers so that I can see the documents and get the information for myself. I encourage all members to support the motion.
Other Members then contributed to the debate to which Abigail responded:
In reply: I thank all members for their contributions and for their support for this Standing Order 52 motion. I note this attitude of so-called transparency from the Government. I absolutely appreciate the offer of a briefing and will always take up the offer of a briefing. That is not the same as putting records on the public record. From the very beginning of this term of the Labor Government, there was an attempt to say, "You don't need to do SO 52 motions. We'll have this protocol. We can help you. Come on and we'll give you these behind closed doors. We'll sort of help you out but we'll never actually provide you with the documents in a form that you can use publicly."
That is what this has all been about. I asked four sets of questions on notice and got told four times, "Sorry, I'm not giving you that information. Go and have a look at the annual report." That is not the same as providing answers to the very detailed questions that I asked. There is no way around that. I did not ask those questions so that I could be told the answers behind closed doors. I asked them so that there would be transparency and public accountability. That is sorely lacking from the Government. I am getting fed up with it. Let us be very honest about what has happened. For the past three years we have been faced with a government so allergic to accountability and transparency it has all but abolished the upper House in its great quest to stop anyone asking it questions.
You cannot get documents under SO 52 anymore. "Oh yes, we'll pass your SO 52 motion, but then we'll give it to you all under privilege and we'll put all of these bogus privilege claims in." Then we have to get the arbiter. The arbiter says, "No, actually all of those claims are completely bogus and they're the same bogus claims that I've told them were bogus the last 200 times that they've done it." The Government does not want to give us documents. Journalists are saying the same thing. They are making Government Information Public Access Act requests that do not get responded to. They are told, "I'm sorry, that's commercial in confidence. That's some State secret." Documents that used to be provided under the previous Government are not provided under this Government.
Then there is a concerted attempt to try to remove our powers to run inquiries. There are now inquiries where the Government does not even put a submission in, where Ministers of this House refuse to attend. The Government wants to abolish accountability and democracy in this State and it will do whatever it takes to do that. That is what is happening. For the past three years we have called on the Government to stop it and actually work with the upper House, let us do our jobs and stop this false war between the upper House and the lower House. It is ridiculous. We should pass the parliamentary evidence bill, sort that out and get back to work.
Motion agreed to.
Read the full transcript in Hansard here.
Read Abigail's NSW Food Authority Questions on Notice (QoN) and the NSW Labor Government responses received here: