Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I look forward to making my contribution on this matter of public importance from Senator Davey, and I must say at the outset that I have the greatest respect for Senator Davey. She is from the land. I know your passion—but you're not the only one. I'm just saying that, Senator Davey, because for the last 18 years that I've been here I have, as you know, chaired—either in opposition, for 15 of the 18 years, or in government—the Rural, Regional Affairs and Transport Committee. And I must say I've been a massive supporter of Australia's food and fibre producers and processors for all those years, and it's been an interesting journey. But for those listening out there, you'd think that we're the worst thing that ever happened to the farmers, so I just want to give you a balance. In my humble opinion, thank goodness we had a change of government.

I believe that the Albanese government has been the greatest saviour of the agriculture industry because—I'm not having a crack at my colleagues over the bench, but I have to say this—a lot of the fantastic food that we develop in this nation had hit a brick wall in trade. Let's not fool each other: trade, to the Australian agriculture and horticulture industries, is paramount. We know we export some 70 per cent of our food and fibre and also our seafood. We know we import just as much of the seafood, as well. But seriously, with the greatest of respect to my colleague Senator Davey, damage had been done to our trade with our largest trading partner, China, so that the opposing minister from China wouldn't even take the Australian minister's phone calls. How bad is that—the largest trading partner we had! Let's not fool ourselves: farmers were in pain. Fortunately, the grown-ups have come into government. I'm happy to take criticism—if you can find it, throw it at me, no worries. But we saw the destruction of our barley trade, the crayfish, the wine and the timber. Now we're on the way back, and now we have a grown-up relationship with China that has been managed by adults. Fortunately, we're starting to get trade going across to China, and thank goodness for that.

I have to say this, too, as someone who does know the price of diesel: the other day I heard one of my colleagues from the other side of the chamber make one of the most ridiculous statements, saying that the Labor Party government makes up all this stuff about the war in Ukraine putting up prices. Ladies and gentlemen, before Russia's illegal invasion into Ukraine, diesel was coming at around $1.80, I can tell you. Six months before that, when I was fueling up at Port Hedland, it was about $1.50, and it kept climbing. Whether some believe this or not—and I don't know how it all works, because we've still got plenty of fuel; I don't know if the fuel companies are having a bit of fun here too—the cost of diesel is $2.30 to $2.50, depending on what part of Western Australia you are in.

I'm from the trucking industry, but the last time I looked the agriculture industry relies on trucking and relies on diesel just as much as we do in the trucking industry. It's the cost of doing business. Let's not forget that about two years ago the previous government, Mr Morrison and co, were caught asleep at the wheel. For those who don't know, we had a diesel additive called AdBlue. All of a sudden we had a massive shortage of AdBlue in this nation, and the transport and agriculture industries were doing somersaults. Fortunately, now we've put that to bed. There's stability there. These are true costs. You're shaking your head, Senator McDonald, like it's not a true cost. Well, I tell you it is a true cost.

I know that the trucks bring it into the farms. I have the greatest respect for our farmers and our horticulturists. I know how it all starts: we bring in the fuel, we bring in the seed, we bring in the fertiliser, we bring in the equipment. It's not all done by farmers themselves; it's the trucking industry. When our export markets are booming, I know who carts it out. It's our trucks. We're the ones who pick it up from the farms and we're the ones who pick up the meat and all that sort of stuff. We're the ones that take it into the cities. We're the ones that take it to the rail or to the ports. The product has probably been on the back of a truck six, seven or eight times before it ends up on your table. So I think we have to tell some truths, and that gets overlooked.

I respect Senator Davey's knowledge of water. I get all that. This has been an ongoing problem for years. When I first walked into this building back in 2005, we were in an arm wrestle with the Howard government. And it wasn't our plan; it was your plan. You had the Basin Plan, and you still couldn't get it right. We've got to tell some truths.