Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to commend the Prime Minister and Minister Watt for achieving in WA agriculture what no-one else has managed to do—that is, to unite the Western Australian Farmers Federation and the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of Western Australia to form a formidable front to fight this government's war on farmers. Precipitated by Labor's politically motivated decision to ban the live export of sheep by sea, this fight has also been fuelled by a plethora of assaults on agriculture, such as Labor's ute tax, the new biosecurity levy, agriculture visa changes and farm labour shortages.

WAFF president, John Hassell, and PGA president, Tony Seabrook, say they have no choice but to get political, and they're raising a $6 million war chest to challenge Labor in marginal Perth seats at the next federal election. PGA president, Tony Seabrook, named the Labor seats of Tangney, Hasluck, Swan, Pearce and Cowan—and I'm betting that we'll have plenty of retired cockies backing them to win back Curtin as well. The PM needs to understand that there will be a political price to pay for persecuting WA farmers, whose only crime is to feed and clothe our great nation, and export specialist product, like live sheep, to nations that cannot produce their own.

I believe Australians appreciate where their food comes from and will support this campaign driven by passionate farmers who are fighting for the future of Australian agriculture and the sustainability of our regional communities.