Australia-Foot and Mouth debate.

AUSTRALIA-FOOT AND MOUTH DEBATE.

The Federal Government has accused the Coalition of deliberately misleading farmers about its intentions to import foot and mouth disease for research purposes, after Nationals Leader, Warren Truss, accused Labor of placing the livestock industry at unnecessary risk.

Mr Truss said the in-principle decision to allow the importation of the virus was made without consultation with industry and would place Australia’s foot and mouth disease-free status in jeopardy.

The Minister for Agriculture, Tony Burke, announced his support for the virus imports at the same time as he released the Beale Report into Australia’s quarantine services.

Mr Truss said the Government should have consulted with industry about the implications of the Beale Report, before accepting its 84 recommendations.

"A decision to allow the import of foot and mouth disease virus for experimental purposes will overturn years of Government objection to the import," Mr Truss said.

Mr Truss said while he has no doubt that Australian scientists would take the greatest of care with the virus, no-one can give an absolute guarantee that an accident, sabotage, earthquake or other catastrophic event would never lead to escape of the virus.

Mr Truss called on the Federal Government to put an immediate hold on any plans to import foot and mouth disease virus and to listen to industry concern about the risks involved.

But Agriculture Minister Tony Burke has hit back, accusing Mr Truss of deliberately misrepresenting the Government’s policy, which is to only consider importing the live virus if an outbreak had already occurred.

"We all hope that such an event never happens," Mr Burke said.

"But if an outbreak did occur, I would ask one question and one question alone: based on the best available science, what would be the most effective way to eradicate the disease?

"If we were advised at the time that there was no need to use an imported live virus for an eradication program, then we wouldn’t permit it to be imported.

"However, if we were advised that we could more effectively eradicate the disease through the importation of a pure live virus to a laboratory, then we could consider the option."