Senate debates

Tuesday, 23 February 2016

Motions

Queensland: Meat Industry

3:50 pm

Photo of Glenn LazarusGlenn Lazarus (Queensland, Independent) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a)   acknowledges that rural and regional Queensland is suffering from drought and ongoing job losses across many sectors, including the meat processing industry;

(b)   calls on the Government to take immediate action to prevent further job losses in the Queensland meat industry by:

(i)   establishing a dedicated working group comprised of Government, employers and employees, including representative groups/bodies to consult with employers, employees and unions in the meat processing industry to ascertain what level of support would be useful in protecting employment levels in the industry, and

(ii)   developing an industry accord in consultation with industry stakeholders, including those within the meat processing, live export and farming sectors, which delivers positive outcomes for all stakeholders and reduces job losses in the meat processing industry; and

(c)   further calls on the Government to investigate and report on the extent to which recently signed Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), such as the China Australia Free Trade Agreement, have altered demand and supply patterns in the local meat industry and, if FTAs have contributed to local jobs being lost, how such agreements can be strengthened to prevent this from happening in the future.

Photo of Matthew CanavanMatthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Photo of Stephen ParryStephen Parry (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Photo of Matthew CanavanMatthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | | Hansard source

This motion proposed by Senator Lazarus should be opposed. The motion would spread unnecessary uncertainty in our cattle industry and in particular our northern cattle industry. His motion implies that free trade agreements and also the live cattle trade itself could cause job losses. The logical end point of this motion and if the Senate supported it would be to ban or restrict exports of live cattle in favour of processing in Australia. We saw how disastrous this was in 2011 for our entire industry. Cattle Council president, Howard Smith, today has come out and said that market intervention in Australia's beef supply chain would be strongly opposed by beef producers. This motion would undermine confidence in the live cattle trade at a time when producers with cattle are finally getting strong returns after a long period of deflated prices. Senator Lazarus calling into question the value of Australia's free trade agreements and singling out the ChAFTA agreement in particular would be very detrimental to our beef producing industry. Removal of tariffs will bring billions of dollars of extra value to— (Time expired)

3:51 pm

Photo of Glenn LazarusGlenn Lazarus (Queensland, Independent) Share this | | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Photo of Stephen ParryStephen Parry (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Photo of Glenn LazarusGlenn Lazarus (Queensland, Independent) Share this | | Hansard source

I have been to rural and regional Queensland. I have been to meat processing plants. There are job losses. In fact, 580 workers left the job site just outside of Townsville in November and have not been returned through the lack of cattle. This pathetic excuse for a government has done nothing to protect jobs in Australia. As long as the overseas companies are being looked after, they are very, very happy. Stuff the Australian workers! We don't want their jobs! But, of course, the foreign companies are getting all their cattle. We will be getting to a stage where we are going to have to buy processed meat at three times the price back from wherever the cattle has been taken. No jobs are created here in Australia, but as long the mates of those over here, their foreign companies, are buying cattle hand over fist and not creating any jobs or any income in Australia, they are happy. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.