Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

From the outset, can I acknowledge to the minister, my electorate's appreciation of the announcement in the budget that there will be more rural financial counsellors. That is very important. I know that the member for Calare, the shadow minister, knows how important rural financial counsellors are in these difficult days. And I know you, too, Minister, would appreciate just what a valuable role they play in the bush to help not just farmers but other people who are struggling with rural debt. To help them get through that crisis in their lives is very important.

I would like to ask a couple of questions which might not be generally related to the appropriations, but will certainly affect the budget over the coming 12 months. Firstly, Minister, are you aware that skyrocketing electricity prices are forcing irrigators in the Riverina to turn back the clock and reinstall decades-old diesel pumps on their properties? On-farm power prices have jumped 17 per cent in the past year, in line with residential prices, and close to 80 per cent in the past five years. The Murrumbidgee High Security Irrigators Chief Executive Officer Brian Halse—I think you know him—was quoted in The Area News recently, saying:

Electricity is a huge issue for anyone pumping water and some locals are spending $60,000 or $80,000 a year just on power.

That really goes against the whole thought of carbon pricing that the minister's side of politics would certain push. It just does not make sense that they are using decades-old diesel pumps to get the water to where it is needed.

My other question, which, again, will have an impact on your budget bottom line, is your position on the foreign takeover of GrainCorp. There is, as you know, a significant bid by Archer Daniels Midland to take over the GrainCorp operations, which are so valuable to the wheat and grain growers in the eastern states. It is a significant issue. Certainly in my electorate I have many, many people who are desperately worried that we are going to lose port access and desperately worried that just the cost of getting grain to markets is going to be that much higher, especially with the running down over progressive years of railway lines by successive state governments of every persuasion, though certainly more Labor than coalition.

I would be very interested to know what your thoughts are as to whether the Treasurer should stop this takeover—whether he should say 'No'—because this is such a valuable asset, not just to the grain growers who are shareholders but, indeed, to Australians generally. We used to ride on the sheep's back, but at the same time we used to ride on our wheat and grain profits. But that is not the case any more. If ADM in fact takes over GrainCorp, that will have a significant deleterious effect on our valuable grain crops and on the profits of those annual harvests. I implore you, minister, to do whatever you can to stop this takeover. The Treasurer did nothing when the Spanish food giant Ebro threatened to take over SunRice. SunRice stayed in Australian hands after a very close vote. As you would be well aware, the profits from the rice harvests of the past two years have been such that the Coleambally mill has reopened, which meant many, many jobs to Riverina industry and that wonderful Riverina community.

I know that you are concerned about these issues. You have visited my electorate on a number of occasions and I appreciate that. I know you have spoken to locals in difficult times, but you have been prepared to be open. Whilst I certainly do not think the Murray-Darling Basin Plan has helped with many of my locals' certainty or lack thereof, I know they did appreciate the fact that you had the gumption to front them and explain your government's position. But I do ask you to respond to those two important issues: first of all, the use of diesel for irrigators to use their pumps and, secondly, ADM's potential takeover of GrainCorp.

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