Crean defends trade submission takedown

Trade Minister Simon Crean has stepped in to ensure an Austrade submission critical
of government policy has been taken down from a Senate committee website.
The opposition has accused the minister of gagging his agency and questioned the
federal government's commitment to an independent public service.
In addition, the ministerial intervention has prompted calls for a re-think of the
operation of Austrade - the government's trade and investment development agency.
The submission relates to a Senate inquiry into a Rudd government decision to cancel
a rebate that helps exporters pay for quarantine inspections.
Two days ago the Austrade submission was on the committee website but it had
disappeared by Wednesday.
It warns the removal of the rebate could harm Australian exporters by increasing
their costs.
"Austrade notes that the removal of the 40 per cent rebate ... increases costs for
Australian exporters which could adversely affect the competitiveness of many
Australian exporters, and ultimately could impact on trade growth in established
markets and in new market opportunities," the submission said.
In particular, it warned, small to medium size exporters could be hurt.
Mr Crean told ABC radio the submission was not cleared by his office or by Austrade
management.
"It was a clumsily-worded and misguided statement and I've made sure that the acting
head of Austrade has corrected that fact," he said.
Austrade will appear before the Senate committee on Thursday night to put its case.
Mr Crean said the submission was not government policy and had not canvassed the
opinions of major stakeholder organisations.
He denied he was trying to gag the public service.
"I don't mind it delivering frank and fearless advice," Mr Crean said.
"I'm saying it has got to get the full advice and it didn't."
Nationals leader Warren Truss told reporters the government had the submission
removed because it didn't want to hear the truth.
"Here we have public servants telling the truth and the government wants to gag them
and silence their evidence," he said.
The main public service union questioned whether it was appropriate for a
market-driven agency like Austrade to report to the minister.
The agency used to report to a board but the former Howard government brought it
under ministerial control.
Community and Public Sector Union national secretary Stephen Jones said the
minister's actions had been counterproductive.
"It doesn't send a good signal," he told AAP.
"The responsibility of the public service ... is to give frank and fearless advice
to the minister which it reports."
Mr Jones questioned whether the government needed to think about again putting
Austrade under the control of a board.
"The minister probably wouldn't have been able to do what he's done if the former
board structure had been in place," he said.