Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Sterle for his continued interest in standing up for agriculture in his home state of Western Australia. ABARES yesterday released the September quarterly update of Australian commodities. The report shows that farm export earnings remain around 24 per cent higher than the five years to 2011. Export income from crops remains steady at around $21 billion. Those of us on this side have taken steps to improve Australia's performance in rural Australia. We are rolling out the NBN, we have opened a market for carbon farming and we are delivering a hospital reform for regional areas.

What is troubling for those on this side is the risk that those opposite represent for the future of Australian agriculture. The opposition is hopelessly divided on key agricultural policies. Let us take wheat exports. The deregulation of the wheat industry was necessary and vital to ensure the continued competition in industry. Let us not forget the AWB oil-for-food scandal. It is well understand by Labor and by Liberals who are unified to stop this rort and continue to deregulate wheat. The opposition leader at the time, Brendan Nelson, said of the reforms that growers now need to be able to have the choice as to how they grow and how they will market their grain.

Fast-forward a couple of years to September 2012, and what do we see now? Today we see in the Western Australian an article claiming Ms Bishop has abandoned the position of deregulating the wheat industry. For the sake of unity, mind you, the Liberals have collapsed and given in to the doormats of the Liberal Party. You need to elevate yourselves a bit now because the Pastoralists and Graziers Association say the WA Liberals have sold out the state and the industry. (Time expired)