Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Sometimes in this place the truth hurts. We hear from the member for McEwen about the truth hurting. We are concerned about what they are doing and how they are hurting these farmers. I could be very unkind and say it is because the financial management of this government beggars belief. Their incompetence and waste has led to them pulling the funds six weeks into a 52-week program and leaving these farmers high and dry. That is not good enough. We have this motion today because we want the government to act.

I commend the federal member for Murray for putting this motion forward and for representing her constituents in the way that she has. She has not lain down. She has presented the facts. She has moved this motion. If the member for McEwen wants to know who the farmers are who are impacted, we have the list right here.

The best thing the member for McEwen could do is say to the Prime Minister in his party room tomorrow: 'What we did to these farmers was unjust. We led them down a path that made them think they would be eligible for the next year for exit grants.' No-one wants these farmers to exit their land but, given 10 years of drought, sadly, it was the only option left to them.

I call on the government to support this motion. I commend the federal member for Murray for bringing it to this committee. The member for McEwen should, rather than shake his head, get in his party room and say, 'What we did was wrong,' and defend these farmers.

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