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

I thank Senator Gallacher for his question. There are alternative approaches to investing in Australian farms, fisheries and forestry. You could take the low road and strip out investment, make service cuts and waste money. You could get the priorities seriously wrong, as we are seeing occur with the Liberal and National party state governments. While we invest, they cut and waste. In Victoria the government has spent taxpayer funded research for none other than the mythical big cat. While the hunt was on it shamelessly closed primary industries offices in regional Victoria. In Queensland we have seen the biggest slash and burn of regional services. Mr Campbell Newman has closed the doors on the Farm Financial Counselling Service, has threatened to dismantle the Queensland Reconstruction Authority and is sacking thousands of workers delivering rural and regional services. Meanwhile, in New South Wales, Premier O'Farrell is ripping $1.7 billion—(Time expired)