Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. I refer the minister to the statement of the secretary of the Australian Workers Union, Mr Paul Howes, on Sky News's Australian Agenda on 1 December that:

… the day of ma and pa farming in Australia needs to end.

What is the minister doing to support Australian agriculture, including smaller farming enterprises?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question and must note that we have adjoining seats. One of our towns is Urbenville. On the way to Urbenville, from either my side or his side, you go past lots of what Paul Howes from the AWU would call ma and pa farms. It is an absolute insult that this has been turned into a pejorative. It is something that reflects in excess of 95 per cent of Australian farming.

But at Urbenville we could talk about the things that the coalition are doing for farming, such as the farm finance package which we have got out today. We have managed to sign off all the mainland states and territories so that we can provide a product that the Labor Party were unable to provide. We would be able to talk about getting the live cattle trade up and running again—

Mr Champion interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Wakefield is warned.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and how we have managed to put a floor back into the cattle market after we found out one night that the country was not being run by the government; it was being run by Four Corners. It was an absolute disaster for the people in that trade.

Mr Snowdon interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lingiari is warned.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We would be able to talk about the election promise we made about the white paper and how we are looking forward to a great future for all farming families in this nation. We would be able to talk about the Northern Australia white paper and how we see a new economic horizon for farming in this nation. We would be able to talk about inland rail and how we are developing major infrastructure to absolutely increase the capacity for the logistics in inland Australia.

But I think it is extremely important that we also talk about Mr Paul Howes, because Mr Paul Howes was instrumental in both the selection and the execution of two former prime ministers of this nation. I find it an absolute insult that, from his lofty heights, he would make a disparaging comment about all family farms. I would like to know if this is the view of his colleague in the AWU, the Leader of the Opposition. Does he also believe that this is the end for ma and pa farms? Is it the end for farming families? Is that the view of the AWU? Is that the view of the Australian Labor Party?

After we get rid of ma and pa farms, are we going to get rid of ma and pa suburbs? Are we going to get rid of ma and pa small businesses? Are we going to put in their place a corporate farm where the future for the sons and daughters of the people who are listening to this is swinging a spanner on someone else's farm? The vision we in the coalition have is that we will own the farm—the Australian family will own the Australian farm. There is a great future for Australian families, and there is a great future in the Australian farm.