Trade minister admits gaffe over Trump-Albanese beef talks
The opposition is calling for both a Senate inquiry and an independent scientific review of the decision to end the restrictions, which they have suggested was made to help secure a trade deal with the Trump administration.
Asked about diplomatic discussions leading up to last week's announcement, Farrell said on Sunday that: 'Of course, the president of the United States has raised it with the prime minister'.
Pressed on when Trump and Albanese had discussed the issue, Farrell told Sky News: 'I couldn't tell you off the top of my head which of the discussions, but I'm aware that this issue was raised by the president of the United States, but that will not change the way in which we conduct and examine our biosecurity issues.'
Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash leapt upon Farrell's 'extraordinary' comments, saying they had raised more questions about whether the process to ease restrictions on beef imports was purely science-based.
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Albanese later told the ABC's Insiders that he had not discussed the issue with Trump in any of their three phone conversations, refuting Farrell's initial claim.
'I made a mistake,' Farrell told this masthead, adding that he had confused Trump's remarks about Australian beef in the White House rose garden with a conversation between the two leaders.
Asked whether Trump had raised the issue with him, Albanese said: 'No. Donald Trump, though, did raise it at the so-called Liberation Day, of course – he raised it publicly, so his views were well-known.'
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