Josh Wilson (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Everyone in Australia has a heartfelt interest in the social and economic wellbeing of farming communities, and I acknowledge the long-term commitment to that cause from the member for Grey and from other speakers in the debate, including the member for O'Connor. There is no question that Australia's high-quality and sustainable agricultural output is of vital importance to our nation; it has to be valued and it has to be supported. That's a core responsibility of government and of everyone in this place. But that responsibility is not exercised by ignoring reality or by denying the truth or by pretending that massive obvious change is not under way. And that massive change needs to be properly and responsibly managed.

If anyone wants an example of massive obvious change, it would be very hard to go past the fact that over the last 20 years the live sheep trade has declined by more than 90 per cent. If that's not an example of deep and categorical—

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