Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the motion put forward by the member for Shortland. I congratulate her on a motion which both acknowledges and recognises the wonderful work of Landcare, its leading people and its volunteers but also highlights the threat to Landcare posed by this callous budget which has cut such a wonderful organisation. I listened closely to the member for Wannon and I almost do not need to make a speech now—he said it all for me! He acknowledged the wonderful work that Landcare and its volunteers do together to battle soil salinity and erosion, deploying sound land management practices. Each year they plant millions of native trees, shrubs and grasses for a range of benefits, including improved soil and water quality. This is why none of us can understand why the government has broken yet another election promise in its decision to cut $480 million from Landcare in this its 25th year. This year, when it is celebrating such a significant birthday, why would the government so dramatically cut funding to an organisation which is doing such great work and which has met with such great success?

It has been estimated that for every dollar the government invests in Landcare it receives $5 in return. Why is that so? It is because there are so many people out there volunteering and sharing their expertise. This is the important point to be made about the Green Army. I am sure there are some circumstances where the Green Army may be able to enhance and extend upon the work done by our Landcare people. But anyone in this place who has had anything to do with Landcare groups will know that the work they do is quite complex. This is effectively science we are dealing with.

I have been most impressed by the knowledge and expertise of so many people I have met in Landcare groups. Many of them are farmers. Many of them are environmentalists. Many of them are associated with farmers or local Landcare groups and have simply been looking for an opportunity to give something back to their community in an area which is so important to the sustainability of this country. Forty per cent of our farmers are part of Landcare, and many more of them use Landcare practices. This is a program supported by those who work our land.

I started by saying that this is a broken promise. Of course, it is. I note that the member for Wannon, while he spent a lot of time praising Landcare, did not address this key aspect of this motion. In keeping with the Speaker's ruling, I will not seek to table this document I have with me. But I have with me a media release from the now Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, dated 26 August 2013. You remember that date, don't you, Mr Deputy Speaker? I am sure the shadow minister at the table does. It was just before the last federal election. It seems there were a lot of media releases issued and commitments made just before 7 September last year. I do not know what the coalition's private polling was telling them, but the end result leaves one with no doubt that they should not have been too concerned. In August a lot of media releases were issued and a lot of promises were made. Here is one from the now environment minister with an absolute guarantee that, while Caring for our Country and Landcare would be merged into a single entity, the funding would be guaranteed.

We raised questions on this in Senate estimates just last week. We could not get any answers. This is one of the most obvious breaches of an election commitment of all, which, like the commitments to health, education and pensions and no tax increases, was a commitment made out of desperation and from a mob who were just so determined to take office at any cost that they were prepared to promise anything and everything. They were elected on a lie. They were elected on a false premise that they would not cut health, education and pensions and that they would not cut Landcare. They should not cut Landcare in its 25th year. It is too important a program to be cut.

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