Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities) Share this | Hansard source

If the members of the National Party who are interjecting want to pretend that it was not their own leader who was the minister for agriculture when dairy deregulation came in, then go right ahead. I think that both sides should be consistent in acknowledging that the person who has been consistent in his objection to dairy deregulation is actually the member for Kennedy. I think that members of the National Party should just own up to that.

Ian McLeod, the managing director of Coles, has written to members of parliament and published in the media that, when Coles renegotiated milk supply contracts in January of this year, the dairy processors received higher prices. The government does expect that dairy processors pass these price increases back onto dairy farmers.

The question also deals with some very serious issues relating to mental health situations in rural and remote communities. Mental health is an issue of deep sensitivity to all members in this House, and a major issue for Australians in any time of crisis—particularly in those areas which have been through natural disasters. We refer to cyclones and floods, but are all very mindful of what happened among the farming community in particular during the long period of the drought, and the member for Kennedy has referred to those issues directly.

The Australian government does provide a range of initiatives and social support services for farmers. Front line service providers, including Centrelink’s rural service offices, are often the first point of contact for farmers or their families. They provide referrals to support services and to local social workers and specialists. The Australian government also has its National Suicide Prevention Strategy supporting suicide prevention initiatives at both the state and national levels.

Those mental health issues leading to suicide are always incredibly complex. There are always a range of issues that can affect them, financial pressure very regularly being one of them. I acknowledge the support for those measures from members of all sides of the House, but also acknowledge the particular links that the member for Kennedy has made for a long period of time on that issue.

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