Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Is the Prime Minister aware of concerns expressed by WA wheat growers regarding the impact of current marketing arrangements on the Australian wheat crop? What is the government’s response?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In response to the member for Kalgoorlie—and he of course represents very significant wheat-growing areas of Western Australia, as do many Western Australian members on this side of the House—I am aware of the concerns that have been expressed by the Western Australian wheat growers. Those concerns arise from a conjunction of circumstances, including the severe impact of the drought, the concerns which have accumulated in relation to the proceedings before the Cole inquiry and other considerations.

Our position regarding the single desk is well understood. We do not intend to take any precipitant decision regarding the single desk until the findings of the Cole inquiry are to hand, and then they will be very carefully considered. Of course, the future of the single desk is something on which there is a range of views in the Australian wheat industry, as there is in this parliament, but in relation to the particular issue raised by the member for Kalgoorlie, and that is the concerns of Western Australian wheat growers, can I inform him that I have discussed these concerns with Mr Ian Donges, the Chairman of AWB International, and I have arranged to meet Mr Donges and some of his fellow directors tomorrow to further discuss this issue.

Let me assure the member for Kalgoorlie that decisions taken by this government in relation to this very difficult issue will have in mind overwhelmingly the interests of Australian wheat growers—as, indeed, should decisions taken by any participants in this issue have regard to those interests. The wheat industry in Australia has been an enormous contributor to the wealth of this nation over the years. The wheat growers of Australia, in company with many other farmers, are going through very difficult times and all of us need to have their interests uppermost in our minds when we take decisions about this vital industry.