Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Yes. As I understand it, it is to go to the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport tomorrow for some farce of a process to look at a 40-page bill that has major ramifications for the way that we sell our wheat and for the farmers and growers of Australia. How could this government treat the growers and the farmers of this country with such contempt concerning such major changes after the scandal we have seen over wheat marketing and AWB? To ram this legislation through this place in such a manner is a perpetuation of the scandal. It is burying it in secrecy. As Senator O’Brien says, we have not seen the outcomes of the Ralph process. I have had phone calls and emails from farmers saying they are not happy with the process that is being undertaken. They have concerns about the way this is being dealt with. I think that is the tip of the iceberg. This process is designed so that nobody will get to properly analyse this legislation. Such a major piece of legislation needs adequate time for this place to analyse it, for the community to analyse it and, in particular, for growers and farmers to sit down and look at it. We have had a major breakdown in the process in our wheat marketing with AWB. Now the government is rushing headlong into another process which could have the same result if we do not look at this legislation and any problems with it. If we do not have a full debate about what the government is proposing, we could end up with the same mess we are in now.

Last time there was actually a committee that travelled around Australia and looked at wheat-marketing measures—I might add that we still ended up with the mess that we are in now. So where are we going to end up if we ram this legislation through this place without any significant review? It is mind-bogglingly incredible that the government thinks that the community is going to wear having such a piece of legislation rammed through and put in place without any transparency or review.

The Greens will be supporting an amendment to deal just with the power of veto. I do not see why it cannot wait, but if growers are saying that is what they want to see—that they want to see some level of surety there—we will support an amendment to deal just with that. But we certainly do not think there is any reason for ramming this through other than the reason that I mentioned of closing down debate in the coalition. I might add that it will cause a great deal of discontent in the community to see the way the parliament is being treated with such contempt. We are not even being allowed to make any comment. For any inquiry that we have tomorrow, if that is what is going to happen, nobody will be able to look at a bill of 40 pages. We will not even be able to look at a bill of 40 pages, because we are stuck in here until 11 o’clock tonight dealing with other legislation. Then they expect people to start looking at it and reading it properly tomorrow! That is an absolutely ridiculous notion.

The Greens do not support the government’s move to exempt this from the standing orders. We will support an amendment whereby the power of veto is considered, but we certainly do not support this bill being treated in this manner and we do not support the contempt the government is showing for this place and, more importantly, the community and growers, who are not going to have a say in a piece of legislation that fundamentally affects them and their futures. The government is treating this community with contempt.