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

There is very real and very serious risk to government support for agriculture, fisheries and forestry. The massive, widening split between the doormats and the Liberal Party is sending all of the wrong signals to overseas markets. They do not stand up for farmers in government. All they do is talk the economy down, so much so that Mr Abbott has officially put Senator Joyce on notice. Yesterday Mr Abbott made it clear that freelancing from the front bench would not be tolerated, so the pressure is on Senator Joyce to toe the line or he is out. It should not be too hard for him to toe the line with Mr Abbott. After all, they went to school together at Riverview on the North Shore of Sydney. While the Liberals and nationals are tearing themselves apart this government is backing-in Australian agriculture, fisheries and forestry.