Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Fifty-one per cent of Australia's land mass is registered desert lands, 21 per cent is Aboriginal lands without title deeds, precluding pastoral activity, and seven per cent is national parks, leaving only 25 per cent—180,000 hectares—available for agriculture. Australia's five biggest farming operations—the Ord Stage 2, Van Diemen's dairies, Cubbie, Nicoletti grains and Terra Firma—are all foreign owned. Foreign ownership, as researched by Fairfax, is increasing at over 20 million hectares a year. I refer to a question on notice from 12 October. Minister, why have you refused to give any guarantee that a majority shareholding in Kidman will not shift to foreign control after the sale to Shanghai CRED and Rinehart— (Time expired)

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