Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Forrest. As a dairy farmer she, probably more than most others, would want to know about the future of agriculture as designed in this green paper. The member for Forrest, after getting married, went straight back to the farm. It was like, 'I love you and you love me, so let's hold hands and go and get the cows and milk them.' The member for Forrest has two children—Kim and Kylie. I think Kim is still on the land.

It is extremely important that we understand that the future of agriculture has got to have a deliberative path. I am happy with the fact that we have received over 680 submissions from the Australian people on this green paper. It is a formative document and it goes to the essence of what being on the land is about. It is about getting a fair return at the farm gate. It is about making sure that with the overwhelming work done by the farmer more of it actually gets back to the farmer, because we know that if they do not make the money they are not actually going to invest in their farm.

You would be aware, Madam Speaker, that in 1900 the farmer got about 85 per cent of the final retail price of their produce. By 1950, it was down to about 50 per cent. Today, it is about between 10 and 15 per cent. And this is for the people who actually do the work.

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