Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

I can only repeat what I said. Given the efficiency and effectiveness of Australian farmers, given the fact that generally speaking they operate with almost no support or subsidy compared with farmers in Europe and North America, given that this is a time of exceptional circumstance—drought—and understanding that Australia has probably always been the most unreliable country in the world, climate wise, to farm in, and therefore farming is a very difficult enterprise—in those circumstances we believe that our farmers do deserve appropriate support while acknowledging that, notwithstanding that level of support, there are farmers leaving the land every day.