Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McKenzie for that final supplementary question. The biggest threats to jobs in agriculture in Victoria and, indeed, elsewhere in Australia, include: excessive regulation imposing unnecessary costs on agricultural businesses and, thereby, hobbling their opportunities for improving profitability; a lack of adequate flexibility in employment options which discourages agricultural and other businesses from increasing their workforce; inadequate water and other agricultural infrastructure to enable growth in agricultural production and expansion of agricultural businesses; and, of course, Australia's budget deficit burden, born of a legacy of waste and mismanagement under the previous government and presided over by the failed finance minister sitting opposite me. Despite these difficulties, we are committed to growing the agricultural sector. (Time expired)