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

Let's make this a pull shot over the field for six! Senator Cadell, I'm sorry that you were given this question to ask. None of your colleagues were willing to ask this question. Senator Cadell, you've just asked me to bring forward funding. That is exactly what we have done. When we were elected, we brought forward the funding that remained in the fire ant eradication program that was left behind by your government, and now we've added an extra $268.2 million. Senator Cadell, you might be asking us to bring forward more funding. Your party leader wants to cut the funding that we're delivering to Queensland. He wants to get rid of the fire ant eradication program. Has he spoken to Queensland farmers about that? I know Senator McKenzie hasn't ever met a farmer. I don't know whether the farmers in Victoria would support cutting the fire ant eradication program. You want us to cut the $268.2 million that we've dedicated to this program. The National Party, we know, gave up caring about farmers a long time ago. Senator Canavan's on the record saying that they're not core constituents of the National Party, and Mr Littleproud has just proven it as well. (Time expired.)