Bad Apples?

Why is it that New Zealand Apple farmers are so up-in-arms over the Australian government disallowing New Zealand apples into Australia?
I'm sure it's quite possible that fire blight is a myth and therefore poses no real threat to the Australian apple industry. This also seems to be the position that many New Zealand apple growers and also the New Zealand government, which is apparently "at the end of its teather", have adopted. In a recent article, Rupert Ryan, New Zealand apple grower and spokesperson for the Australian Apple Access Group, even went as far as to describe the Australian governments' position on New Zealand apples as "just ridiculous".
But is it? Surely if Australia was producing apples which were either cheaper or of a higher quality than those produced locally, which would likely have potentially serious consequences on the New Zealand apple industry, then these same growers would again be outraged. And the usual Aussie-bashing would then follow...

Personally, I'm convinced that there is another factor contributing to this whole issue which is far less political: Australian apples are shit. Anyone who has eaten an Australian apple recently will know Australian apples are about as edible as Pauline Hanson, and for this reason alone the introduction of New Zealand apples into the Australian market will probably never happen...