Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

Briefly, just to make it absolutely clear, on 22 May 2007 in response to a question from the excellent member for Grey, Mr Wakelin, the Prime Minister said this:

If growers are not able to establish the new entity by 1 March next year, the government will propose other marketing arrangements for wheat exports. Let me make this clear to the House. The options available would include further deregulation of the wheat export market. The government believes that the new arrangements will maximise the returns to growers—

Of course, talking about maximising returns to growers required a spurious point of order from the member for Denison, Mr Kerr. Then Mr Howard continued. That statement from the Hansard from the other place makes it perfectly clear what the government will do in the event that we are re-elected. Quite clearly, either side of politics would need to address the situation and would address it in the event that growers could not get themselves together by 1 March 2008.

Question put:

That the amendment (Senator O’Brien’s) be agreed to.