Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

As this motion notes, the Australian dairy industry is facing an unprecedented crisis, with the retail cost of bottled milk per litre often being less than the retail cost of bottled water. Australia's largest dairy producer and milk price setter, Murray Goulburn, has been allowed to force onto its suppliers unprecedented milk contracts and/or agreements, ensuring that dairy farmers are burdened with retrospective debts ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Australian rural and regional communities face losing millions of dollars and thousands of jobs if a fair long-term solution to Australia's dairy prices is not found. I urge all senators, particular those from the National Party, to stand up for the rural and regional communities that are doing it tough and vote for this motion to establish a Senate investigation in order to establish a fair long-term solution to Australia's dairy crisis.