Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

Seasonally adjusted percentage change, December 2015 to December 2016—wait for it: 23.7 per cent growth. Those sorts of numbers are changing the whole dynamics of regional Australia—those sorts of numbers in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector. It means that one of the major banks comes into our office—in the last fortnight—and says that they have had the biggest payoff in rural debt in their history. This is what is happening under a competent government.

This is backed in by issues such as the dog fences. You might say, 'Why is that important?' Call people such as those who live at Bollon or Cunnamulla as we roll out thousands of kilometres of fences. Supported by this government, one of the biggest turnarounds in this quarter has been wool and sheep meat. We have seen the price of wool go to record prices for about the last 30 years. This is a change around.

We hear the deriding comments by the Labor Party that our agricultural policy is a thought bubble. Well, it is a thought bubble with record outcomes and record returns for this nation. It is the essence of what a competent government does. It brings a better return back through the farm gate. That is precisely what we are doing. That is precisely what is happening. That is why we talk about record cattle prices, record sheap meat prices, a record back in wool prices. Everything is turning around. That is why we can go to the seat of Parkes and see, with the tax deductibility that we brought in on grain sheds, new grain sheds going up, new fences going up and new water infrastructure going in—a 100 per cent write-off on water infrastructure; a 100 per cent write-off on fencing; a write-off over three years for grains; the instant asset write-off. This is the sort of turnaround. This is how competency looks. Competency looks like this. This is what competency looks like. And what did you ever provide for agriculture? What can you put your hand to? You were a total and utter failure. We have a record result.

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