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

Thanks again, Senator White. As I was just saying in answer to the last question, we know the agriculture sector has its challenges, and we're getting on with solving them. In the meantime, this data shows that the industry is in good shape, and that's a good thing.

In terms of the supplementary question, we are in lock step with the agriculture sector's ambition to become a $100 billion industry by 2030. We are doing this by working with all players in the industry, not by dividing them and not by fighting against them. We are bringing people together, not hurling insults from the sidelines, when it comes to agriculture. That started with the industry roundtables I held in my first weeks as minister, and it continued at the Jobs and Skills Summit, where we agreed on measures to help the industry deal with workforce shortages right now.

I am stunned. First it was the National Party getting stuck in about agriculture doing well, and now it's the Liberal Party getting stuck in about agriculture doing well. I thought you liked agriculture. I thought you liked rural communities. This is good news for the industry, and all you can do is yell. (Time expired)