John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senators Canavan, O'Sullivan, McKenzie and Day move:

That the Senate notes:

(a) the beef industry is worth $8.5 billion to Australia;

(b) a report released by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences [ABARES] shows that farm incomes are increasing for Australia’s beef producers;

(c) that beef producers in northern Australia have enjoyed a 98.1 per cent increase or around 50 per cent above the average for the previous 10 years;

(d) that beef producers in southern Australia have seen their farm cash income increase from $38,100 a farm in 2013-14 to $64,000 a farm in 2014-15;

(e) that increases in the numbers of cattle sold for live export and higher prices have resulted in the farm cash income in the northern live cattle export region increasing from an average of $143,000 in 2013-14 to $277,000 in 2014-15; and

(f) that the Australian Government’s free trade agreements with China, Japan and Korea, combined with the live cattle trade negotiations with China, ensures a strong and prosperous future for the beef industry.

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. The major problem we have with this motion is the word 'ensures' which indicates that these free trade agreements, which we are signing up with in our region at a rapid rate, are somehow going to ensure the prosperity of our beef industry. I have in my hands a chart, a piece of paper that I would be quite happy to table, of how our six-monthly exports have fallen to the lowest level in five years since we signed the Korean deal, since we were told it was going to be good for our agricultural exporters and since we were told it would be urgently needed to pass through JSCOT and this parliament. It is absolute rubbish, Senator Williams. These things have always been oversold and have always under delivered. If you want to help the beef industry in this country then get behind the Senate recommendations to fix the grass-fed levy in this country. Senator Joyce, previously, had done absolutely nothing for cattle producers in this country. If you really cared about it your government would do something about it— (Time expired)

Question agreed to.