Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

It's a real pleasure for me to speak and to dispel the myths that the opposition have been purporting when it comes to this motion. I welcome the opportunity to oppose it today.

I was recently appointed the Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and I have very much enjoyed the engagement I've had from industry in the month or so that I've been in that portfolio. They are very welcoming, very knowledgeable and very happy to share their thoughts and knowledge with me, which I appreciate. I acknowledge that there is a lot to learn in this space; it is such a big portfolio area, and I am very grateful for the engagement I've had with industry. My door is always open, and I am always happy to have a discussion with them.

One of the first opportunities I had was to speak at the National Farmers Federation Leaders Summit in Canberra a number of weeks ago. That was something I really enjoyed and valued. I was very clear, when I outlined the agenda the government is pursuing when it comes to agriculture, fisheries and forestry, that we know we're not going to agree on every issue, but we are committed to working and finding common ground and ensuring that we can advance the industry. That's exactly what we have been doing since we came to government. We've delivered on our election promises but we've also been focused on the future, because we understand not only how important this area is to the country but also the export potential that avails itself in this portfolio.

It's interesting that Senator McKenzie didn't talk about the record of the previous government, when they were in power, and what we inherited, but that has been a big focus of this government, in terms of correcting what we saw from the previous 10 years of those opposite. What did we actually see when we came to government? We saw a $100 million black hole in the biosecurity budget. There's one thing that unites the agriculture sector: the concerns they have about biosecurity. That's something we had to go about fixing in the budget, which we have done.

We saw a decade of climate denial and no support to help the agriculture industry meet their own climate targets. This is something that industry see as an opportunity. Previously, they didn't have a government that was committed to working with them. They have that now in this current government, and we see tremendous opportunities. We know about the damage those opposite did to the APVMA and the dysfunctional mess they left it in for so many years. That has taken so much time to fix, and it is now on the right path. Also, there are the trade relationships that are so important in this sector that they neglected and eroded over 10 years of time. We've been getting on with the job of fixing these challenges, which the opposition couldn't be bothered to do or had failed to do. We are delivering for Australian farmers and producers, and we are committed to a robust, sustainable agricultural industry that continues to thrive in Australia, because we understand how important it is for so many parts of this country.

We've been strengthening Australia's biosecurity system, ensuring long-term sustainable funding with an investment of over $1 billion. We know the threats will continue; that's why it is important that we have a robust biosecurity system in place that can do what is needed to keep Australia free. We've delivered $11.1 million to uplift northern Australia's ability to detect, prepare for and respond to exotic plant, animal and aquatic pests and diseases, through funding the implementation of the Northern Australia Biosecurity Strategy.

We've boosted the agriculture workforce, securing fee-free TAFE and vocational education and training places for courses right across Australia. So far we've seen over 14,000 enrolments in agriculture courses. We've also worked with industry to adjust program settings for the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme to continue the transition period for minimum-hour settings until 1 July next year. The May budget included $1.9 million over three years to provide targeted grants for industry led projects, with benefits across the sector. We'll continue to invest in programs that support the employment and retention of our best people.

We're opening up new trade opportunities for our sector to grow and diversify overseas markets. In 2023-24, Australia exported over 70 per cent of its agriculture, fisheries and forestry production to 169 markets globally—the most diversified trade has ever been. Restoration of market access for several agriculture and forestry products contributed a record $17.4 billion in exports to China last year alone. We've delivered over $3 billion in extra funding for agriculture since taking office and over $500 million to the National Reconstruction Fund. We understand how important this sector is to the economy and to Australians. That's why we will continue to support it, despite the rhetoric of those opposite.