Bruce Scott (Maranoa, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. Will the minister update the House on the benefits to the Australian agriculture sector and to regional Australia, including my electorate of Maranoa, of the government's budget and the delivery of the free trade agreement with China?

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

I thank the honourable member for his question, because, if there is one place that has a lot to benefit from the free trade agreement, it is certainly the seat of Maranoa, and I commend the work done by Minister Robb. It is great also to see some decent rain happening in the seat of Maranoa this week as well.

In the seat of Maranoa we have one of the largest cattle-selling facilities in Australia, one of the largest cattle-selling facilities in the world. Under the free trade agreement negotiated by Minister Robb and the coalition we will see the tariff that was between 12 and 25 per cent eliminated to zero over eight years, and that is a substantial reduction. Obviously, this reduction will further enhance the record prices that we are currently getting for cattle. This, absolutely, sends a signal back to the people of Maranoa, back to the people of Mallee, and back to the people of Western Australia that, if we can increase our numbers, we can bring a real increase in returns back through the farm gate.

It is not just in cattle, of course. In sheep meat there was formerly a tariff of between 12 and 23 per cent. This, too, will be reduced to zero over eight years. This allows the repopulation of so many areas in Queensland with sheep. This is an incredibly important industry and is important, also, for the Labor Party because the AWU was founded on the wool industry. This is important and works hand in glove with the work that we are doing in such things as controlling wild dogs and in the fencing program that we are currently running out.

An industry which is probably not at the forefront of our minds is the goat industry. The goat industry is also getting record prices for goats. This industry formerly had a tariff of 20 per cent and that is being reduced to zero. If you go away from cattle there is the dairy industry where the 15 per cent tariff is to be reduced over four to nine years. Skim milk powder had a 10 per cent tariff and is to be reduced to zero over four to 11 years; there is also whole milk powder. If you go all the way into citrus there was an 11 to 30 per cent tariff on citrus. Citrus is so important to the member for Mallee. This will be reduced over eight years to zero. Summer fruits tariff of 10 to 15 per cent will be reduced over four years to zero.

The purpose of our side of the political fence is to get a better return through the farm gate. This does not happen by accident. Under our government it is most definitely happening. Under this government we have seen the largest turnaround, the biggest turnaround, in the price of soft commodities in the history of this nation. That goes to show you what a difference in government can make to the lives of people.