Independent Senator David Pocock is pushing for a public hearing into Australia’s decision to keep a controversial herbicide linked to Parkinson’s disease on the market.
On Sunrise on Thursday, Pocock questioned the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority’s (APVMA) decision not to ban paraquat despite the chemical being banned in more than 70 countries.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Farmer’s plea to ban paraquat herbicide linked to Parkinson’s
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“Their argument is that the evidence says that it can be safely used. That is not what 70 countries around the world think,” Pocock told Sunrise.
“And I think there should be scrutiny over that decision.”
Paraquat is used in agriculture to control weeds, with research linking exposure to an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
The renewed calls for action come as Queensland farmer Greg Smith, who is living with Parkinson’s, has issued a desperate warning: “Don’t end up like me.”
Push for public hearing
Pocock said he was seeking support for a Senate motion to allow public hearings as part of the inquiry, arguing the public deserved answers about the decision to retain the herbicide.
He told Sunrise the motion would be put to a vote in the Senate on Thursday.
“It’s really important that when we have these Senate inquiries, that there is an element that is public, where experts can speak, the regulator can answer questions,” he said.
“Really critically, farmers and those affected can actually have their voice heard.”
Pocock said public scrutiny was needed to build trust in the process.
‘We’re actually mammals, so it is not safe’
Parkinson’s Australia chief executive Olivia Nassaris said the organisation had identified gaps in the regulator’s assessment and was presenting its concerns to the inquiry.
“It says in their report that it’s toxic to mammals and birds. And the last time that I checked, we’re actually mammals so it is not safe,” she told Sunrise.
Nassaris said researchers, neurologists and other experts had raised concerns about the chemical’s safety.
She also called for funding to help farmers transition to alternative weed-control practices, saying the change could protect both human health and the environment.
“Safe practice will protect not just their health but the soil and our land as well,” she said.
The debate comes as the APVMA’s revised controls on paraquat and the related herbicide diquat introduce tighter restrictions on permitted uses, application rates and handling requirements.
The parliamentary inquiry will examine the evidence surrounding paraquat and its relationship with Parkinson’s disease.
