Andrew Broad (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This week there has been a campaign running called Meat Free Week, but, to counter that, the National Party and many in the coalition are going to take part in Free Meat Week. In my electorate of Mallee, Swan Hill Abattoirs and Frewstal abattoir are significant employers. The federal member for Dawson started this campaign by saying, 'When Australian farmers and graziers are doing it so tough, to drive to convert people to vegetarianism is just un-Australian.'

Meat Free Week is, I believe, running an anti-farming campaign under the guise of a health program. We have a diversity of foods in my electorate. We want you to eat grapes, we want you to eat asparagus, we want you to eat citrus and we want you to drink wine—they are all grown in my electorate—but we also want you to eat meat. One of the reasons for this is because it is good for your health. Did you know that in 1628 when the Puritans settled in the Massachusetts colony they got more meat in their diet than they had had for a very long time? Within three generations, their life expectancy was 20 years longer.

Having protein in your diet is good, so please, members of parliament and the Australian community, this is the week to eat some meat, have some free meat, get some meat, get your neighbours around, build a community around a great barbecue and have a look at the website www.free meatweek.com.au.