John Forrest (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I rise to protest in the strongest possible terms the decision by the federal Labor government last week to not honour farm exit grants, which is having a devastating impact upon my constituency. Rural councils were advised at about 4.35 pm on Thursday that, if sale transactions had not been finished by five o'clock that evening, farm debt exit packages would not be honoured. This is a despicable decision. I am hoping with great naivete that it is just a bureaucratic mistake.

I have called upon the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Ludwig, to rescind the decision. I have written to him and have put a question on the Notice Paper which will appear tomorrow. I have pleaded with him to think about the serious ramifications of this decision. People have made decisions and sold their farms. In the meantime they have had to find somewhere to live and they have entered into contracts of sale to purchase a home, either on a smaller property or in town. They have nowhere to go with this sudden impact upon them. The $150,000 grant in the exit package will not be there. Instead of retiring from farming, they are now in the awkward position where they will have to go to the bank and take out a mortgage to pay for their new home in town.

I hope I am not being naive, but I hope the minister can rescind this decision if it is all about money. This decision is having a terrible impact on the emotional stability of people in my electorate. (Time expired)