Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

We do support Australian farmers, and we do understand the difficult environment in which they operate. You will recall, Senator, that one of the things that we have worked on since we came to government is ensuring access for our farmers to export markets, including China, because we understand how important that is not only for the broader Australian economy but for the financial position of farmers, wine growers and other parts of the agricultural sector. So I would say to you that we do understand the importance of this sector. We have worked very hard to ensure that there are more trade opportunities. I think you would understand that enabling export opportunities is a very important part of ensuring the sustainability and viability of our agricultural sector. We are a trading nation.

The senator also spoke about farmers supplying to the domestic market. Of course, that's critical for the country. One of the areas that are challenging for many is energy costs. We're very conscious of what we inherited—the situation that occurred where we saw so much energy exiting the system as a consequence of policy paralysis by your government—and what we have had to do since we came to government. Senator, you are genuine in your concern for the agricultural sector. I do not understand why you would be supporting a nuclear policy, which will guarantee higher prices for that sector.