Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator O’Brien for his question but note that I think Senator Abetz very lucidly and eloquently set out the government’s position on this matter. He made it clear that, following the release of the Cole commission of inquiry report and what it had to say about AWB, and in light of the particular circumstances of Western Australian wheat growers and our concern to ensure that in due course we put in place suitable long-term arrangements for the future marketing of wheat, we have decided as a government, and as approved by our coalition party room, that we will introduce legislation this week—which we look forward to the Labor Party supporting—to provide for the amendment of the Wheat Marketing Act so that the veto, which currently rests with AWB, will rest for six months with the minister for agriculture.

In the meantime, while that position pertains, the government will engage in a significant and comprehensive consultation process with the wheat industry and all growers to ascertain their views as to where we as a country go with wheat marketing, given the outcome of the oil for food scandal in Iraq, the role that AWB had in that matter and the report of the Cole commission of inquiry. We will conduct that consultation process during this six-month period. We will complete it in three months. The government will then consider, based on that consultation process, what the future direction will be for wheat marketing in this country. The Prime Minister indicated that, in effect, all options are on the table, ranging from the continuation of the single desk through to full deregulation. All options are open. We want to know what the growers in the industry think should be the future and then we will come to a decision, and no doubt we will bring further legislation to this parliament to give effect to the government’s decisions sometime next year. We think this is a proper and sensible course.

I reject absolutely the innuendo from Senator O’Brien. Minister McGauran is an outstanding member of this coalition government. He is a member of a coalition cabinet that has produced 10½ years of outstanding government in this country. That would not have been possible without the strength, unity and cohesion of the coalition, and the great contribution made by National Party members, senators and ministers to this government. Along with Liberal members and senators, they are proud defenders of the interests of rural Australia, which the Labor Party ignored for all its period in government and has paid no regard to during the wasted 10 years that it has had in opposition.