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

I will also be very brief. Like the minister, I want to congratulate the member for Kennedy for his passion and the way he so energetically represents his constituents. He is, of course, a former member of the National Party, and it is a great shame that current members of the National Party aren't following him on some of these very, very important issues. I didn't hear what the member for Kennedy said about the wool industry; I was having a conversation with the member for Mallee about very important agriculture issues. But, certainly, the minister made a reference to the disaster that occurred in the wool industry. Of course, that was a National Party disaster, beginning with 'Black Jack' McEwen. It was Labor—

Mr Katter interjecting—

If you want to interject, I might hear you, member for Kennedy. It was the National Party that destroyed the wool industry with the reserve price scheme. And I have read Charles Massy's excellent book on the reserve price scheme and the way the government just kept buying wool in the face of falling—

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