By Sabra Lane for AM
The Federal Government has denied gagging public servants in its trade agency after a submission critical of official policy disappeared from a parliamentary website.
Trade and development agency Austrade had warned that plans to charge companies for quarantine inspections could adversely affect the competitiveness of many Australian exporters and hurt the growth of trade.
The submission was published on a Senate website two days ago.
The Government says it was later withdrawn because it was one-sided and was not cleared through the minister's office.
But the Opposition says it was pulled because it told the truth.
The submission predicted the consequences of a plan to introduce full charging for quarantine inspections - until now, there has been a 40 per cent rebate.
Nationals leader and Opposition trade spokesman Warren Truss says the public servants had given "fearless" advice.
"[But] their advice has been withdrawn and they have been told to go away and hide their heads behind the cupboard," Mr Truss said.
"It is extraordinary that only an hour earlier, the Prime Minister was saying in the same Parliamentary chamber how important it was for public servants to give fearless advice."
During a valedictory speech yesterday for a retiring senior bureaucrat, Mr Rudd restated his desire for an independent public service.
"What we see in Helen Williams is, I believe, a model for the independence of the Australian public service that we wish to see evolve into the future as well," Mr Rudd said.
Trade Minister Simon Crean, who oversees Austrade, says the submission was not cleared by his office nor was it cleared through the Austrade executive.
"It was a clumsily-worded and misguided statement and I've made sure that the acting head of Austrade has corrected that fact and is prepared to appear before the inquiry to indicate the position," Mr Crean said.
He says that while the submission came from the general manager's Office of Government and Communications at Austrade, it does not represent Government policy.
"It was a reference to their discussions with certain disgruntled people affected by the decision," Mr Crean said.
"They didn't have any discussion with the peak bodies such as the Australian Dairy Industry Council, the Grain Corp, ABB, Horticultural Australia - all of whom agree with what the Government is doing.
"I don't mind [the public service] delivering frank and fearless advice. I'm saying it has got to get the full advice, and it didn't.
"It is all very well to look at circumstances of which someone came to a conclusion based on limited consultation."
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