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

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources and Minister for Resources and Northern Australia. Will the Deputy Prime Minister outline how the government is securing the future of agriculture production in Australia and my electorate of Page? Is he aware of any threats to the ongoing viability of hardworking Australian businesses and families in agriculture?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question and note how important the beef industry is. The member for Page will be happy to know that the most recent GDP figures show that the fastest growing sector, the sector that contributed most to GDP growth, was agriculture. Agriculture has been, under this government, one of the great success stories. In the time of our government we have increased the gross output of agriculture by around 30 per cent. This has been by reason of effective policy—policies such as Farm Management Deposits up to $800,000; the 100 per cent write-off for water reticulation; the 100 per cent write-off for fencing; the write-off over three years for grain storage; the WET rebates; the beef roads; the biosecurity legislation; the country-of-origin-labelling legislation; the sugar code; the regional investment corporation; decentralisation; the building of dog fences; and the inland rail. All of this goes to show a government that believes in agriculture.

We don't know whether the Labor opposition have a policy on agriculture. They don't believe in agriculture. They have no reason to stand behind one of the pillars of our economy. They've shown no interest in agriculture. In fact, generally the shadow minister for agriculture never even asks a question unless it's on anything but agriculture.

You ask if there is a threat. There are a lot of threats, but the biggest threat to agriculture is power prices. It is definitely power prices. It's rather sad when we find that the member for Maribyrnong is turning his back on the Australian people, on coal workers, on those in hi-vis suits. He doesn't believe in workers anymore. He's turned his back on those who actually labour. The Leader of the Labor Party no longer believes in labourers. You can see he turns his back on them, because he doesn't believe in them. Someone else who doesn't believe in labourers—and it is sad to see—is Sally McManus the leader of the ACTU, who said today when asked about Liddell: 'It's just a matter of time and this plant will close.' What Sally McManus meant to say was: it's just a matter of time and these labourers will lose their jobs. That is where the Labor Party has gone. It has given up on labourers, given up on workers. The Labor Party has turned its back on workers and turned towards Balmain, turned towards Annandale and turned towards Woolloomooloo. It's turned its back on the people who once were the proud bones of the Australian Labor Party. At some point we're going to get the member for Maribyrnong come to the dispatch box and say he believes in those coalminers' jobs, because they are watching this and they are giving up on you. They are giving up on the Labor Party because they know the Labor Party has given up on them.