John Anderson (Gwydir, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Would the minister advise the House of the assistance being provided to farming families to manage the current drought? And are there any alternative views?

Peter McGauran (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Gwydir for his question. No-one knows more of the devastation and loss from prolonged drought that affects individual families, rural economies and rural economic and social life than the member for Gwydir. Many members on this side of the House know it too. All of us appreciate that this is now the worst drought on record and it has required an unprecedented response from the government. Since 2001, and before then, a number of regions have been going in and out of drought and across the board there has been no normal seasonal rain since 1995. We have provided over $1.2 billion to more than 53,000 farmers and their families. The Commonwealth government pays 100 per cent of income support and 90 per cent of interest rate subsidies. The government is spending $29 million a month on that income support and interest rate subsidies.

The government is continually monitoring its drought assistance measures. At the request of the Prime Minister, I have undertaken a series of consultations with the National Farmers Federation, farm organisations and rural community groups and representatives in order to make sure our assistance is targeted as properly as possible. These issues are currently under consideration.

Earlier this week, we heard from the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Treasurer, all of whom are well aware of the dire circumstance our farmers and rural communities are facing. However, this must be news to those opposite, because yesterday on ABC Country Hour the opposition agricultural spokesman, in an attempt to exploit the fears and uncertainties of farming families, said, ‘Only 13 per cent of farmers have ever accessed these particular provisions.’ That is a deliberate and calculated deception. Fifty three thousand farmers do not add up to 13 per cent of the farming community, as the shadow minister said when he misled and deceived the Australian public. To exploit the misery of drought would have to be the lowest act anybody associated with agriculture could ever engage in.

In the member for Gwydir’s electorate, up to 57 per cent of farmers in the Bourke-Brewarrina area have accessed assistance. In the member for Riverina’s electorate, 80 per cent of eligible farmers have accessed assistance. In the Goulburn-Loddon area, the member for Murray’s area, 75 per cent of farmers have accessed assistance. Today in the member for Parkes’s electorate, 45 per cent of farmers in the western division are currently accessing exceptional circumstances.

The opposition claims serve no other purpose than to strike fear into people who are vulnerable and exposed. It is playing politics with drought. And I should say that the member for Corio has never asked me a question as shadow minister for agriculture, either in this House or in writing. He has never issued a press release. I have checked the Hansard and he has never raised drought. The only comment from him on this that any of us can locate is in yesterday’s ABC transcript in which he, quite frankly, lied to the Australian people about only 13 per cent of farmers receiving drought assistance.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I believe the minister might rephrase his answer and withdraw what he said.

Peter McGauran (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw. But people will make their own judgements about the honourable member’s integrity.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. What was that? He should come to the dispatch box and say the words ‘I withdraw’.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I believe that the minister has done that. I call the minister.

Peter McGauran (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I had some sympathy for the position the member for Corio finds himself in, but not anymore—now that he exploits the fears of farming families.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. We are still waiting for an unconditional withdrawal of what was clearly an unparliamentary term, which has been unparliamentary forever.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I heard the minister say, ‘I withdraw.’ I call the minister.

Peter McGauran (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will say again to the House that I withdraw. But anybody who heard that knows full well the deception the member for Corio engaged in.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister said, ‘I withdraw.’

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. On every occasion that you require withdrawals from this side of the House, you require people to say the words ‘I withdraw’ with no further embellishment. Can you require the same of the minister? Otherwise, you are setting a new standard about withdrawals which will be used by the opposition—make no mistake.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I heard the minister say, ‘I withdraw,’ and he then went on to answer his question.