Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move the following motion:

That the House:

(1)notes:

(a)the Federal Government continues to turn its back on farmers and regional communities impacted by the horrific mouse plague;

(b)the mouse plague is now impacting across multiple states and the Federal Government still has no national response plan for this unfolding disaster;

(c)the Minister for Agriculture is silent about how the Federal Government can assist; and

(d)Australian famers and their rural communities deserve better than this; and

(2)therefore, calls on the Prime Minister to attend the Chamber and explain how he will take responsibility to help farmers and regional communities deal with the impact of the devastating mouse plague.

Leave not granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the member for Franklin from moving the following motion forthwith:

That the House:

(1)notes:

(a)the Federal Government continues to turn its back on farmers and regional communities impacted by the horrific mouse plague;

(b)the mouse plague is now impacting across multiple states and the Federal Government still has no national response plan for this unfolding disaster;

(c)the Minister for Agriculture is silent about how the Federal Government can assist; and

(d)Australian famers and their rural communities deserve better than this; and

(2)therefore, calls on the Prime Minister to attend the Chamber and explain how he will take responsibility to help farmers and regional communities deal with the impact of the devastating mouse plague.

This government continues to abandon farmers and regional communities. They will not stand up for farmers in this mouse plague. They are doing absolutely nothing about this mouse plague. They're not assisting the—

See this speech in context