Andrew Broad (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I rise to draw to the Australian parliament's attention the Nuffield Australia Farming Scholars program. This evening, in the dining room, the Australian parliament will host 62 scholars from around the world. Mr Deputy Speaker Scott, I think you can appreciate the importance of this program, having been a Nuffield scholar yourself. I am also one of them in this chamber. The program is all about creating innovative leaders. We believe that agriculture is essential to the Australian economy; we believe that if we invest in people then we will grow productivity.

The scholarship was set up after the Second World War because global food security was in question, and we believed that exchanging information would lessen that. I will just read the mission statement of the Nuffield Australia Farming Scholars program:

The Nuffield Australia Farming Scholars’ mission is to develop potential and promote excellence in all aspects of Australian agricultural production, distribution and management through the adoption of local and international best practice, and continuous development of a unique network of industry leaders and innovators.

I am very proud to say that two scholars have come out of my electorate, Tania Chapman and Miss Sarah Sammon, and they are going to do amazing things. One is involved in the citrus industry and the other is involved in flowers—not just flowers, but the petal industry. Something you can use to decorate your house. Nuffield scholars provide the food on your table and the romance in your life, and it is a good thing they are here in the Australian parliament today.

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