Mary Fisher (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Ludwig. I refer to the government's business hardship payment of $20,000 supposedly to help cattle producers. Given that applicants for the $20,000 must prove continuing and unavoidable business costs, can the minister confirm if eligible costs will include any wages to shoot and dispose of cattle, if that is necessitated by the minister's incompetence, or are culling costs avoidable and therefore ineligible?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government remains committed to working alongside industry and alongside Indonesia to have the live export trade recommence as quickly as possible, but that trade must have, as I have said, a supply chain in place that can guarantee the welfare of livestock. While we work to get that trade back up and running, it is important that those in industry who are doing it tough are supported. That is why I announced income assistance for industry, which was the $5 million contingency for those people who are as a consequence of the suspension made unemployed.

The second part was the need to support those people who are in short-term need of assistance—individual producers, those people and related businesses affected by the temporary suspension. For that reason, the government has put in place a $30 million package for that purpose. This package builds on the previous assistance measures and will provide immediate payments of up to $5,000 for eligible businesses with further payments of up to $20, 000 also available.

It is designed to be a short-term injection to help alleviate some of the immediate pressures on businesses associated with the suspension. It is a clear that individual producers are under pressure.

Mary Fisher (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order: my question is clear. Will the costs of killing cattle be regarded as eligible costs, if that be necessitated by the minister's incompetence?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order: I am not sure the commentary in the question is in order and it is not necessary, but I make the point that the minister is directly on the topic in answering. He is trying to give the senator a fulsome answer to her question, and I would ask you to rule there is no point of order.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. The minister has 28 seconds to continue the answer.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The package, as I indicated, will build on the previous assistance measures. It is immediate payment of up to $5,000 for eligible businesses with further payments of up to $20,000 also available. It is designed for a short-term purpose. The best thing for industry is that we do get this trade back up and running as quickly as possible. It is clear individual producers are under pressure, and these grants represent immediate response to them— (Time expired)

Mary Fisher (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question: can the minister detail precisely how the government's assistance for cattle producers will help a cattle producer who now needs to destock by several thousand head because his market has vanished overnight under this minister's incompetent oversight?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I indicated in answer to the first question that the package is designed as a $30 million package to provide those with immediate assistance in the industry. The government remains committed to supporting the industry throughout the suspension period. We are focused on getting the trade back up and running as quickly as possible, because that is the best form of assistance that the industry can be provided with. Of course if you do require information about the package, the government's assist­ance line is 1800 808869. Those on the other side of course—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If people were not shouting out, it might help me; I am trying to listen to the answer.

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

Senator Macdonald, I do not need you to intervene, thank you.

Mary Fisher (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order: rather than call a blah, blah, blah phone line, the question is clear. Exactly how will the government's assistance help a cattle producer who now needs to destock by several thousand head due to the minister's incompetent oversight making the cattle producers' market vanish overnight?

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. Senator Ludwig, you have got 14 seconds remaining to address the question.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those on the other side, of course, would sentence cattle to continued cruelty in ensuring that they would continue to have this trade without putting a supply— (Time expired)

Mary Fisher (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, a point of order before I ask a further supplementary question: I ask that the minister withdraw his comment and implication that we on this side somehow condone torture of cattle, be they Australian or of any nationality because, after all, animals know no borders.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order, Senator Fisher.

Mary Fisher (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Unfortunately, I need to ask the minister whether he will do what the government has failed to do thus far: take responsibility for the imminent destruction of a substantial proportion of the national herd resulting from his ineptitude, and when will he do the right thing and resign?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I met with state and territory and local industry representatives in the north and heard about some of the issues that they are confronting firsthand. That is why we are working as quickly as possible to put in place the supply chain assurance that is required to get this trade up and running again—unlike those on the other side, who want the trade to recom­mence without a supply chain assurance in place and without assurance that the cattle that leave Australia would not be mistreated. There is no assurance in the policy from the other side in this respect.

That is why we established an industry fund to deal with onshore supply issues. That is why the Australian Cattle Council put up a $5 million contingency fund to deal with onshore supply issues and post-farm issues around the welfare, feed and watering of cattle. (Time expired)