BILL Heffernan is one rare politician who’s never shied away from attacking the elephant in the room.
Last night during Senate estimates hearings in Canberra the veteran NSW Liberal Senator again asked the big, delicate question that was hovering on everyone’s lips, about the microscopic mating habits of bees.
In an examination of Department of Agriculture and Water Resources first assistant secretary Tim Chapman about biosecurity risks linked to importing bee semen into Australia, there was no pregnant pause after Senator Heffernan dispatched his penetrating question.
“How do you get the semen out of the bee - do you have to kill the bee to get the semen?” he inquired.
South Australian Liberal Senator Sean Edwards urged Mr Chapman to not be too technical with his explanation.
“That’s the most common question we get asked,” Mr Chapman said.
“It’s part of the vernacular; everyone wants to know how you get semen out of a bee.
“And I can’t claim to be an expert.”
WA Labor Senator Glenn Sterle asked “So what constitutes an expert?”
But Mr Chapman – in keeping somewhat of a straight face – forged ahead saying videos of bee semen extraction were available on YouTube.
“Basically you squeeze the bee which everts its endophallus and then the semen is collected from the end,” he said.
“Bees also die when they mate naturally; in fact they explode.”
Senator Heffernan said, “God help the human species”.
Earlier, Mr Chapman answered a more serious line of questioning by Senator Edwards in relation to a government review process around the potential importation of bee semen.
Mr Chapman said in December 2014, the Australian Honey Bee industry Council formally requested a review of the likely risks associated with bee semen importation.
He said stakeholders were keen to allow the product to be imported to improve bee genetics in Australia, so as to improve industry productivity and disease resistance.
Mr Chapman said bees overseas were resistant to the exotic disease varroa mite – which has not yet hit Australia.
The disease is considered the greatest challenge facing world beekeeping but could eventually land in Australia.
Mr Chapman said importing bee semen was not about increasing the local bee population but about “improving the genetics so there’s better disease and mitre resistance”.
“We are the only continent that does not have varroa mite - but by improving the genetics in the country it will mean if and when we get an incursion of varroa mite there will be greater resistance and so there will be less damage to the bee population,” he said.
“And that’s not only good for honey production obviously but for pollination and agriculture more generally.”
Mr Chapman said the Department released a draft risk review report on bee semen importation in December last year, to be reviewed by stakeholders.
He said the Department had now received some “commentary” on that draft and were expecting to release a final policy in the next few months, after considering the input provided by stakeholders.
Mr Chapman said there was no immediate pressure on the Australian bee population at the moment.
But he said the industry wanted to improve its genetics and the review was “really about putting in place an insurance policy” so that if varroa mite does arrive, Australian European honey bees are better able to cope.
Mr Chapman also explained to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee that bee semen could be imported into Australia after collection in the exported country to be then placed in vials.