Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is always a pleasure to follow the member for Murray, who like me represents an agricultural region vast in the variety of produce it produces not only to feed our nation but to feed other nations as well. I know how desperately worried the member for Murray is about a future for farming. These bills are to do with agriculture, and agriculture is under great pressure at the moment through a combination of factors, not least of which is the high Australian dollar. Fortunately, that high Australian dollar is weakening—fortunately, that is, for the farming sector, who rely on overseas importers in order to export their produce at a price that is reasonable and good for them so that they get the maximum price at farm gate. With a high Australian dollar there is a disinclination for those overseas countries to continue to trade with many of our fine farmers.

Australia does have the world's best farmers—there is absolutely no question about that. I know the Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries at the table would concur with me on the fact that Australian farmers are the very best in the world. They are using world's best practice. They are using less water to grow more. Yesterday I commended the member for Braddon, who is the Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, on the wine-marketing export arrangements—the new statutory body which is being formed. But, unlike with that particular piece of legislation, I do not think that there has been due diligence or sufficient consultation with respect to this bill. It bothers me that in the last few days of this parliament we are seeing this rushed through without the coalition being properly consulted, and moreover without industry bodies and key stakeholders being consulted. They are the ones who are going to wear the effects of any changes and they need to have the comfort and security to know that the government of the day is doing the right thing by them. But I am not certain that they have those assurances.

We have seen agriculture under enormous pressure, and not helped at all times by this government. There has not been the focus on regional Australia that there should have been in this parliament. I hope that in the next parliament, whichever party has the Treasury benches—

See this speech in context