Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I reject the tenor of the question. If the Queensland government and Senator Macdonald cared about graziers in the Richmond area and those northern areas, they would have already signed up to Farm Finance, which we announced in the budget. I have asked them to, but I have not heard a peep out of Senator Macdonald on this issue. I have not heard a peep, not about providing assistance to graziers. All he wants to talk about are issues that do not actually concern the department. This is about the EPBC Act. What he wants to do is to go off on a frolic of his own across into grasslands, but let me say that if you want to provide real help to farmers and if you want to support farming communities, why don't you make representations to the Campbell Newman government about supporting farm finance and ensuring that we do get real outcomes for farmers in those regions? We can provide them with up to $650,000 loans; we can provide them with debt mediation legislation— (Time expired)