Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the last day parliament sat last year the Prime Minister announced 2011 would be a year of delivery and decision—but it has been a year of debt and delay. At least she got the Ds right! Given this minority government was put there at the whim of the country Independents, we were told—more importantly, the Australian public was told—there was going to be a renewed focus on regional Australia. But this government has let everyone down, again.

When our Prime Minister addressed the New Zealand parliament she lifted a 90-year ban on New Zealand apples coming into the Australian market. This angered Australian apple growers, and rightly so. They stand to lose almost a third of their farm income. Worse, the threat of our own orchards being placed at risk of imported diseases is now very real. The government has suspended all live cattle exports to Indonesia, which could cost the industry hundreds of millions of dollars. There is a better way.

Despite recommendations to stop all non-strategic water buyback immediately, this government continues to create uncertainty among farming communities and desperate selling with haphazard purchasing. When there was an incursion of Asian bees which threatened our honeybee industry in parti­cular, and agriculture in general, did this government care? When mice were in plague proportions right across the country, did Labor act promptly to save the situation? A year since 'fundamental injustice day', when this Prime Minister knifed her predecessor in the back to take the top job, regional Australia is still wondering if Labor cares or if it is all hypocrisy, no democracy.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! It being approximately 2 pm, the time for members' statements has concluded.