The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), as the name suggests, is supposed to regulate agricultural chemicals and vet medicines in Australia. Instead, it’s been a hotbed of regulatory failure, incompetence, industry capture and extensive allegations of staff misconduct. And its failures are down to one man: Barnaby Joyce.
After allegations of serious misconduct — including a senior staff member urinating on colleagues — were aired last year, Agriculture Minister Murray Watt demanded the APVMA conduct an independent review of what was going on inside the organisation. The damning review was released on Friday.
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