Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to the lack of provision in the budget for any drought relief payments at all or any replacement program beyond 2009-10. Treasurer, is the government going to stop all drought relief payments permanently or are your forward budget estimates rubbery?

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question from the Leader of the Nationals is simply astounding. There was no provision in their budgets for forward years for drought relief—none. This budget contains $866 million to support primary producers, including $715 million to extend drought assistance for 2009-10. That is the practice that the former government put in place; it did not make forward provisions for drought assistance. We have said that we are looking at all of the arrangements. When we have concluded doing that we will put in place our arrangements for the future and do what the previous government never could do.