Justine Keay (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to talk about the fact that I wrote to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources on the issue of farm household allowances. While I thank the minister for responding to me within about four weeks—there are a number of ministers on that side of the House who have failed for many months to write to me on issues concerning my community—I actually asked the Deputy Prime Minister to come to my electorate of Braddon to meet farmers. I said I would facilitate everything for him so he could hear about not only the challenges that the dairy farmers in my community face but also the opportunities and the good things that farmers in my electorate are doing, whether it be exporting Wagyu beef or whether it be in our cherry, apple or berry industry.

Whilst the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to me in a two-page letter, he failed to take up my offer to come to the electorate of Braddon. I cannot even get a coalition Liberal senator to base themselves permanently in my electorate. It is as though the north-west of Tasmania is a no-go zone for this government. I appeal to the Deputy Prime Minister to come to Braddon to speak to the farmers. It is a shame he is not here to hear this right now. They want to meet with you. Stop ignoring the farming community in my electorate. Come and hear what is going on and hear the challenges and opportunities.