Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Minister, obviously this has a cost effect on the transportation of goods. In light of this legislation was any study done into what the effect will be on the competitiveness of the industry? Transport is a major component of the cost of some of these items. Have we done any assessment of what the effects will be and what the sensitivities will be with this legislation vis-a-vis competition, for instance, in coal as to Indonesia? As you know, the Indonesians are coming into our coal markets. I think they are now a bigger exporter of coal than we are. So have we done any assessment of that and of grains? Have we done any assessment of whether this affects our competitiveness in the grain market and whether the costs will then be taken back to growers, especially those in the grain market? These people do not have the capacity to absorb costs. That is especially so given that regionally based monopolies are now predominantly involved in the exporting of grain. So will they just therefore put the costs back onto the grower? By reason of this legislation will there be a reduction in return to wheat growers and barley growers and to the coal industry?