Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. Will the Deputy Prime Minister outline to the House how the Morrison-Joyce government is supporting Australian agriculture and future-proofing our agricultural supply chains? Is the Deputy Prime Minister aware of any threats to these supply chains or any alternative policies?

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

I thank the honourable member for her question and note how in the seat of Mallee ,with legumes, canola, wheat and so many citrus products, the people of her area have done their part in not only feeding Australia but assisting in the food task of the world.

A key component of that is urea, which is a vital fertiliser. Eighty per cent of the urea Australia uses comes from China. But this government has put $255 million on the table for the construction of a urea plant at Karratha. This will provide about 96 per cent of Australia's urea needs. This is an absolute statement on the preparedness of this side of the House to keep the sovereignty of our agricultural industry in place.

The member for Mallee also talks of alternative policies and threats. Of course, what we have seen is that an alternative government is a Greens and Labor alliance. They mock it, but actually, in this very city, we have a Greens and Labor alliance. We have the fact that the Chief Minister, Andrew Barr, is in the Labor Party, and yet the Attorney-General, Shane Rattenbury, is in the Greens. We have Emma Davidson, an assistant minister, in the Greens. Another assistant minister, Tara Cheyne, is in the Labor Party. The environment minister, Rebecca Vassarotti, is in the Greens, but the transport minister, Chris Steel, is in the Labor Party. So let's part company with this myth that there is not a Greens and Labor alliance.

We have Senator Katy Gallagher in the other place, who has never organised a business, but she has been a leader and organised a Greens and Labor alliance. It is present not only in this city; it is present in this building—a Greens and Labor alliance.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Prime Minister will just pause for one moment. The question goes to threats to supply chains. It does talk about alternative policies, but I think the Deputy Prime Minister is straying somewhat and I would ask him to return to the question.

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

Thank you, Speaker, and I'll say why: because the Greens believe in a moratorium on the production of gas. You cannot produce urea with just nitrogen and water; you need gas, nitrogen and water to produce urea. If you have a Greens-Labor alliance such as exists in this very city or such as existed in Tasmania, you will have the inability for our nation not only to feed the world but to feed ourselves.

Honourable members interjecting—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just before I call the member for Gorton: the interjections are too high in the chamber, particularly from the member for Cooper. You look so innocent, but I'm sure it's coming from you.