Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

McDONALD () (): My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. Can the minister update the Senate on how the government is getting on with the job of securing Australia's future by protecting farmers from the destructive behaviour of animal activists?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator McDonald, for your question. I know you have a deep and abiding passion for the sustainability and profitability of farmers. This side of the parliament has always supported our farmers and our farming communities through good times and through bad times. That's why we're progressing tough new laws through the Criminal Code Amendment (Agricultural Protection) Bill to protect our farmers from those keyboard warriors who would incite teams of animal activists to trespass on farmland, steal, damage property, and incite, intimidate and harass. That's in the House of Representatives today.

Farm trespass is an incredibly serious issue in regional Australia. Chaining yourself to conveyer belts in abattoirs is, similarly, a serious issue in regional Australia. Farmers have contacted me, questioning their place in the industry, and it's too late for others because they've left altogether. But here we have an opposition and, indeed, their partners in crime, the Greens, refusing to back Australian farmers and refusing to stand with the government to stand against animal activists who would seek to intimidate, harass, steal property and destroy. It's a pretty simple equation. Despite their weasel words, despite heading out into regional areas and despite going on their 'listening tours', it would seem that they haven't been listening, because if they were out in regional communities, and if they were talking to saleyard operators, abattoir operators, farmers and the like, they would know that farmers and regional communities feel very, very strongly about the right for them, their families, their stock and their workers to feel safe at work. This week is National Farm Safety Week, so this is the time for the Labor Party to stand up, break the nexus between the Greens—who really just want to see us stop farming in this country—and support the bill.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McDonald, a supplementary question?

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

McDONALD () (): What are the risks to farmers and the wider community from these trespassing activists?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Agricultural businesses should be operating their lawful businesses without being subjected to farm invasion. When you trespass and steal, you are not a protester, you are not someone to be lauded—as Richard Di Natale did in his comments around the bill that, somehow, civil disobedience is okay if you don't agree with the law—and you're not a protester. This is not a badge of honour. You're a criminal, and you deserve to be punished with the full force of the law. Those who choose to damage property or to steal need to be rightly and strongly held to account. These protections and the protections of their privacy are fundamental principles of our society. Activists' actions are a risk to farm biosecurity. They risk the introduction of pests and disease to farm operations, reducing our access to markets and costing farmers in our regional communities millions of dollars and thousands of jobs. Activists' actions are also a risk to animal welfare, with some incredibly disturbing animal outcomes as a result of farm invasions. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McDonald, a final supplementary question?

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

McDONALD () (): How will the new government measures help to protect Australian farmers?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our government is getting on with the job of delivering for the Australian people. We put protecting Australian farmers first, and that is why we're introducing this new, broad-ranging legislation as a priority. Protecting Australian farmers is what we do. It's what we've always done. We understand that our nation's wealth is built on the back of regional Australia, our farmers, our fishers and our foresters. We support farmers like the McNamee family, who farm near Millmerran in Queensland, whose farm was invaded by around 100 activists. These trespassers refused to leave, and harassed and disrupted the hardworking family and their employees. We must send a clear message to animal activists: if you use personal information to incite farm trespass, you will risk jail time of up to five years. Heading out to Dubbo to the bush summit, making claims that they're not going to play politics with regional Australia and they're not going to play politics with the fate of our farmers—this is your chance to do the right thing and stand up for them.