Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

Will the government be using taxpayer funds to ensure that this critical mass is maintained to protect what Mr Howard has called part of the psyche of our country? How does the Prime Minister’s view differ from the justification used by many European countries that their excessive agricultural subsidies are needed to protect their national character and the fabric of their rural communities? Will this desire to maintain a critical mass of farms preclude the government from providing more structural adjustment assistance for those farmers with marginal economic viability and bleak long-term prospects to relocate to other areas or other endeavours?