Patrick Secker (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this Labor government's failure to correctly deliver the exit grant package for farmers wishing to exit the industry. This was a Howard government initiative that we administered without a problem. Farmers situated in exceptional circumstance declared areas were made aware that government had extended the EC exit grant package as part of the 2011-12 budget. The total commitment from the Labor government was $14.4 million. An initial $9.6 million was allocated for the 2011-12 financial year. When the money ran out after a quick take-up exhausted the initial amount, an extra $4.8 million was provided, but that is still not enough. For farmers in Barker, this meant that many missed out on this package. My office has fielded calls from constituents who are rightly very angry and upset because they have made arrangements for their future on advice from agencies only to find out there is no more money.

For two families from the Riverland, this means that they proceeded to sell their properties after seeking advice from Centrelink and being pre-assessed as eligible. After successfully selling their respective properties in a tough market—as you can understand, given the hardship the EC areas have experienced—these families were then told the money had run out and they would not receive a grant. Many of my coalition colleagues have similar stories from their electorates of farmers having pre-assessments done and then, believing that they would receive the $150,000 grant, selling their properties, often at a lower price, only to find out there is no more money—in some cases, after a very short time. I have written to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Joe Ludwig, and to the Treasurer, Wayne Swan, to inform them both about the problems occurring in my electorate but I am yet to see any support or compassion. The agriculture minister told the Australian on Saturday that it was very clear that this program provided access to a capped amount of funding for exit grants. I would ask the minister: does he have the numbers on how many exit grant applications were banked up from previous financial years and how many new applications received the $14.4 million package? If it is the case that applications were banked up and the whole $14.4 million was used to clear those, then clearly the new applications should have been considered and the minister should explain himself. For many farmers it is a very difficult decision to leave the farm for a new life. Many of these people know of no other job than the land and leaving it is a last resort.