Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Justice and Customs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I appreciate that I only have a couple of minutes before we move to other business, so I will make some brief introductory remarks about the Rural Adjustment Amendment Bill 2009 and hope to gain leave to continue my remarks later. The advisory council to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the National Rural Advisory Council, sometimes known as NRAC, provides advice on rural adjustment and regional issues, including on whether areas should be assessed as being in exceptional circumstances. This bill in no way changes the current EC arrangements, and the assessment of eligibility of farms in drought declared areas for EC will also remain unchanged. The bill, as other speakers have mentioned, allows an extension of time for those people who are serving on the National Rural Advisory Council.

This council has always been pivotal to my electorate. In the February extension of EC funding in the areas of western New South Wales, the south-west slopes and plains, and the areas burnt out by the Victorian bushfires, NRAC and EC played an important part. The declarations effective in the electorate of Farrer are due to expire at the end of March and in some cases April, and the drought continues to place extraordinary pressure on the farming families and communities in my electorate, as it does across the country.

I had quite a bit to do with NRAC as they have toured areas of the country during the term of the previous government, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for the work they do, for the effort they put in and for their devotion and dedication to understanding the circumstances of each particular region that they travel through and assess. They are, of course, aware of the extreme difficulties faced by farmers and farming families. They take the time to invite those farming families to speak to them and give their firsthand experience. Having sat in on some of those meetings myself, it is quite heartbreaking to hear those personal testimonies. It is critical that those who make the decisions do hear that personal testimony from farmers and families.

Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 34. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting. The honourable member will have leave to continue speaking when the debate is resumed.