Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Bass for the question. I will refer to some of the work with respect to sustainability and the building of export markets, but I think I should first mention that I did have the chance during the break to catch up with the member for Maranoa in his own electorate. We gathered together because Lee Kernaghan was visiting. The member for Maranoa would remember very, very well what Lee Kernaghan had to say about the work of the government in the electorate of Maranoa. He will remember very well what the Australian of the Year had to say on those issues and the support that he gave for the review of drought policy that this government is undertaking.

Make no mistake: the current position on drought policy that is being adopted by this government is identical to the drought policy that was adopted by the previous government. Not only that but the assessments are being done by a panel, the members of which are all appointees of the previous government who have had their terms extended. In the face of that, there is no doubt that, even though it has always had bipartisan support, it is true that we have not been able to get drought policy in a good enough state for the needs of rural Australia. There is no doubt about that. The Leader of the Nationals has said that in this very place. That is why the policy is being reviewed, that is why I made the comments that I made in the seat of Maranoa—the third time I have managed to visit that seat since I got this job—and that is why the government supports Lee Kernaghan’s concerns that drought policy needs to be reviewed.

It is also true that during the break I had a chance to look at some of the sustainability issues with respect to our fisheries and forestry, including in Tasmania. I met with some of the key fishing operators out of the electorate of Bass and, in South Australia, from Arno Bay and Elliston, with some of the key aquaculture operators there, trying to find a path through to be able to continue to increase production without causing sustainability to have a hit. Also, with respect to forestry, in addition to Tasmania, where we were able to deal with the production side of the responsible end of that, I visited both Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, where we do have real concerns about working with those governments in combating illegal logging.

Over the break I was also able to deal with some of the export issues regarding the export of wheat, horticulture and, in particular, the live trade. I would like to take this opportunity, given that I have been to Riverwood Station, Kilto Station and Lamboo Station—an Indigenous-run cattle station in the north of Western Australia—and then had a look at some of the feedlots in Indonesia where that trade goes, to reaffirm the support of this government for the live trade and to reaffirm in this place, for the first time that I have had the opportunity to do so, that the live trade does occupy an important role in this nation. We expect world’s best practice. The sector has been delivering that, and it continues to have the support of the government.

See this speech in context