Mark Vaile (Lyne, National Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

In making a decision about the future arrangements for the Australian wheat industry, we have taken a decision in the interests of the most important people in this debate, and that is the Australian wheat growers. This is their product that they produce. This is a multibillion dollar industry. They have a significant position in the world wheat market and it is in their interests that we have taken these decisions.

The Prime Minister has just announced a set of arrangements that will be put in place to best serve Australian wheat growers and the Australian economy well into the future. We are putting in place arrangements that have been asked for by the industry. We have consulted widely. I do not know of another issue that our government have dealt with where we have consulted as widely or as extensively with industry—with all the players and the stakeholders in the industry—and done it very transparently and out in the open, I might add. After that level of consultation and discussion with industry stakeholders, growers and farm leaders, we have come to this conclusion. It is now up to the industry to establish the entity they want to manage the marketing of the pool in the future. We will support them in establishing that. I will make the point that there has been an enormous amount of discussion and commentary across the nation on this issue. We have now put forward a plan that we believe will have the majority support of growers, a plan that is designed in their best interests.

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