Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. The New South Wales agriculture minister said about the horrific mouse plague:

It's incredibly disappointing to hear the Commonwealth admit they've got no national response and throw their hands up as our regions face this problem.

Why is the Morrison-McCormack government abandoning farmers when they need them most?

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are looking after farmers when they need us to look after them most. Overnight, if you haven't realised, Shadow Agriculture Minister, we signed a historic UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement that is really going to look after farmers.

Opposition members interjecting —

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left will cease interjecting. The Leader of the Opposition. The question was very specific, and it wasn't about trade.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question also asked what we are doing for farmers. We're doing a lot for farmers, and we will always be the parties for farmers—the Nationals and the Liberals will always protect the interests of farmers. Indeed, I have spoken to Adam Marshall, the agriculture minister in New South Wales, on many occasions, and we stand ready to assist in any way we can, provided, of course, he puts the request in. But I have to ask, Shadow Agriculture Minister, have you been to north-west New South Wales and seen the devastation caused? It might behove you not to come into this place, when you move your motions, smiling all the way about these farmers who are doing it very, very tough at the moment. I live in a community where they are ravaged by mice as well, and there is nothing worse than the stench of mice. There is nothing worse than having mice eat your grain. There is nothing worse than having mice running rampant around your house, around your farm, around your factory.

Then, of course, we have PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, coming out—and I didn't hear the member for Melbourne disendorsing them—saying that the mice, the poor little curious creatures, should be rehomed. I actually agree with PETA. They should be rehomed into their inner-city apartments so that they can nibble away at their food and their feet at night and scratch their children at night. But this is a disgrace by PETA. We always stand ready to help our farmers. The APVMA is considering a request for certain pesticides and herbicides for bait. It's called bromadiolone. The trouble with that bait is that it also has secondary influences on native birds and other animals, pets around the house and, indeed, livestock. That's what we don't want to see. But we would always take the best possible advice—in this case, from the APVMA. Farmers know who their friends are. The friends are on this side of the House. Farmers always know.

An honourable member interjecting—

What about Adam Marshall? The states have always known that these sorts of things are the remit of states. They are addressing the issue. They've added $100 million to their $50 million original program to support those mice-ravaged farmers. I'm sure that the New South Wales coalition government will go on supporting farmers, and, if we're requested for any assistance, we will certainly take it into consideration.

Mr Thistlethwaite interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Kingsford Smith can now leave under 94(a). Talk about missing the moment!