Rex Patrick (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in support of Senator Hanson's proposition. We did not support Senator Hanson's motion before, because we did not support the exact solution that she was proposing, but we absolutely stand by our farmers. We could, of course, listen to the government on this matter, but I actually prefer to listen to the farmers, and they are saying they are in trouble. Our farmers are in trouble. We are shortly to become a net importer of milk. So, when the government says, 'Nothing to see here,' they're right, because soon there will be nothing to see here, and it's a significant problem. We didn't support Senator Hanson's specific solution, because it's actually a really complex problem. It's a really complex problem that requires multiple adjustments in order to give our farmers a fair go, as the Prime Minister is often keen to say.

We start off, of course, with the first problem being that, as Senator Sterle mentioned before, we allowed the sale of $1 milk in supermarkets. When people now talk about $1.10 and $1.20, people need to understand that creates a perception that milk is less valuable than water. When you buy a bottle of water you'll find out that it's much more expensive than milk. How that works out as a proposition is completely foreign to me. One of the solutions there, as mentioned by Senator McDonald—I trust she will support us when it comes to divesture—is, in actual fact, to put in place divestiture laws that will assist. We do have changes to section 46 of the Competition and Consumer Act, as mentioned by Senator Whish-Wilson, but we need to go further. We need to implement divestiture laws. If it's okay to implement them for the electricity sector, it's okay to go more broadly, so I will welcome everyone's support when that amendment that I've put to the chamber in respect of extending that power across all market sectors for any monopoly engaging in egregious conduct is voted on.

There's also the market imbalance in respect of farmgate prices. Once again as Senator Sterle mentioned, there have been a number of inquiries. There was an ACCC inquiry. There was a Senate inquiry back in 2011. And there was a Senate inquiry in 2017. When I look at the recommendations of that Senate inquiry and the recommendations supported by the government, the government has done nothing. In fact, if I wanted to go and look for the response to the 2017 economics committee report I wouldn't find it because the government hasn't responded to it. Even though coalition senators indicated they supported a number of the recommendations, the government has failed to respond to this report. (Time expired)