Food Safety Auditors

Dr JOHN KAYE: My question is directed to the Minister for Primary Industries. Is it true that the food services in hospitality, aged care facilities and meal-delivery organisations will now be able to choose third party, that is private, auditors? What assurances will be given to families of vulnerable persons who have their food provided by these businesses that these businesses will not engage in auditor shopping seeking the least stringent auditors? Has the Minister set in train the same race to the regulatory bottom that has marked private certification in the development consent business? Will the policy lead to a decline in the number of publicly employed food safety auditors?

The Hon. IAN MACDONALD: I thank the honourable member for his question. The number of institutions serviced under the regulation is quite extensive. If we are to enhance the amount of inspections we can do per year we would need to employ considerably more people than we currently have. In many other areas the private certification has worked very well. These are people in training organisations— not just anyone off the street—and organisations specifically authorised to audit food or, in other areas, to audit other sectors of industry effectively. We believe that this will not diminish but enhance food safety. Although the member has had a go at the building industry, and I cannot see how that is relevant, I think these organisations can do it competently. They do it in all sorts of areas, from accountancy through to the legal profession and other areas where there is a degree of light thrown on issues relevant to matters in the particular industry. I do not see any cause for alarm. Obviously if difficulties did arise, the situation would be reviewed.