Sam McMahon (NT, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Senator McKenzie. Can the minister update the Senate on how the sound budget and economic management of the Liberal and Nationals government is helping to strengthen our agriculture sector, including initiatives to help this vital industry grow to $100 billion by 2030?

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

Thank you very much, Senator McMahon, for your question, as a proud Territorian. All of us on this side want to see a profitable and sustainable agricultural sector, and the best Christmas present our farmers could hope for is a very long and sustained rain. But, in the absence of that, it's a coalition government holding the Treasury benches and delivering real and practical support for our farmers as they're doing it tough.

It's been fascinating to watch the Labor Party this week try and know how to say the word 'farmer', spell 'dairy' and understand food processing, because, you know what, at the last election, those opposite didn't even take an agriculture policy to the federal election. You didn't even bother! That's the actual real regard that they hold for this sector, which delivers $60 billion to the economy and employs over 700,000 Australians on farms, in regional communities, and out in the food-manufacturing sector. It's disappointing that your solution to your policy vacuum is to buddy up with a certain political party who does not have the best interests of farmers at heart.

Just in the past week I've been asked what we're doing for agriculture and I will let you know—it's only Wednesday—that this is what we have done this week. Today we announced nearly $2 million for Farmsafe to make sure our farms are safe places to work. We're streamlining our export legislation to make sure farmers can access overseas markets. Our Australian wine industry will be able to protect their valuable IP. We've got trade and market access, assisting through increasing the value of agriculture. We've supported cooperatives to ensure that they can assist primary producers to butt up against the big end of town. We're delivering, week in week out, for the agriculture sector.

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

Senator McMahon, a supplementary question?

Sam McMahon (NT, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister. That's wonderful to hear. Can the minister—and I bet she can—update the Senate on how the Liberal and Nationals government is on the side of farmers and regional Australians?

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

We are the ones delivering for our farmers, our fishers and our foresters. It is the Liberal and National parties in this place that actually stand up and back the regions. Look at dairy: we actually have a real plan, with dairy farmers' interests at the forefront. We're not after a cheap headline; we're after a sustainable and profitable industry going forward. We intend to make sure that mandatory code of conduct is operational by 1 January to put fairness back in place with the relationship between farmers and processors. We've got over $8 million in the ACCC to ensure we've got a dairy specialist unit, and we've got $10 million worth of grants available to upgrade energy efficiency on farms, which is exactly what the Malanda dairy farmers in North Queensland are incredibly excited about, because they're paying exorbitant prices, thanks to the Queensland state government, for their electricity.

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

Order! Senator McMahon, a final supplementary question?

Sam McMahon (NT, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches to deliver for the Australia agriculture industry?

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

Senator McMahon, unfortunately, I can tell you there actually isn't an alternative approach for agriculture in this country. They didn't take a policy to the election. They don't have a vision for a prosperous and sustainable agriculture sector. Wouldn't it be nice if those opposite's concern for dairy was actually heartfelt? But, until recently—and I've checked the Hansardthere aren't too many of them that have said the word 'dairy farmer' in this place, despite their long careers. 'Agriculture', 'farmer', 'water'—Sterlo, you have. Australian dairy farmers actually deserve real and practical support, far beyond your simple slogans, poor policy decisions and bad economics. Your unity ticket to establish a floor price for dairy farmers would achieve the exact opposite of what you're wanting to achieve. It would see milk that's produced in other states where the cost of production is very low flood the market in Queensland.