2016-10-11
Ms PENNICUIK (Southern Metropolitan) — My question is for the Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade, representing the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation. Last month the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) released a report entitled Under the Hammer — Are Auction Houses in Australia and New Zealand Contributing to the Demise of Elephants and Rhinos? Across a nine-month period IFAW found 2772 ivory items for sale at 175 auctions in 21 auction houses in Australia and New Zealand, 5 of which are in Victoria; and 13 rhino horn items were also found, including raw and carved rhino horn, jewellery and wax seals. Seventy-eight per cent of those items were sold — where the auction results were available. I have been told ivory has been seen in Melbourne shops. Minister, is the government aware of this report and of the scale of the sale of ivory and rhino horn in Victoria?
Mr DALIDAKIS (Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade) — I thank Ms Pennicuik for her question. As Ms Pennicuik would be aware, obviously I represent the minister in the other place, and I will take the substantive part of that question on notice. Can I just say for the record that I am not sure that anybody would be comfortable with those beautiful animals being used in such a way for commercial gain, especially when they are threatened species, and so I look forward to providing you with that written response from the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation in the other place.
Ms PENNICUIK (Southern Metropolitan) — Thank you, Minister, for that response. While the federal laws under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 are quite strict regarding importation of ivory and rhino horn, there is no specific state or territory regulation of trade in non-live elephant or rhinoceros specimens. Under federal law elephant specimens may be imported under what is called a pre-Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) certificate, which is meant to prove that the specimen predates the 1975 listing of elephants on CITES. But the IFAW report found that of the 21 auction houses and the 5 that I said are in Victoria — 4 of those are in Melbourne — only 7 had written policies on their websites regarding rules and regulations, and only 2 of these made specific mention of trade in endangered species, even though they were selling it, and only 8 per cent of ivory items for sale were accompanied by provenance documentation. Minister, can you advise also whether Consumer Affairs Victoria monitors auction houses to ensure that ivory or rhino horn for sale in Victoria is not illegal?
Mr DALIDAKIS (Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade) — Again, Ms Pennicuik, I thank you for your question, and I will again seek that response from the minister in the other place.