Perin Davey (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senators McKenzie, Canavan and McMahon, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

  (i) that many drought affected communities in the eastern states have recently seen much ­needed rainfall, and many farmers are reporting good winter crops,

  (ii) that severe drought remains in many parts of western New South Wales and southern Queensland, and Western Australia is coming into drought,

  (iii) that farmers and their communities will continue to need support, both during drought and in the recovery, and

  (iv) the importance of developing programs that contribute to boosting community leadership, connectedness and collaboration, which build drought resilience;

(b) commends the Liberal and National Government for committing more than $10.8 billion to farmers and communities in drought, including more than $300 million through the Drought Communities Program, more than $460 million through the Farm Household Allowance, and $180 million through the Drought Communities Support Initiative; and

(c) also commends the Liberal and National Government for further support in helping communities build drought resilience through the:

  (i) Networks to build Drought Resilience Program, which will increase the presence and reach of community networks working together to build drought resilience, and

  (ii) Drought Resilience Leaders Program, which will provide drought resilience leadership courses to young and emerging leaders in rural, regional and remote communities.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor will not be supporting this motion. Rather than writing self-congratulatory motions, Nationals senators should focus their attention on drought affected farmers and their communities that continue to do it tough through a drought that their motion acknowledges remains severe and ongoing in many parts of Australia.

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Nationals for bringing the current state of the drought across the country and the value of supporting farming communities to the attention of the Senate. However, the Greens fundamentally disagree with this motion, because the coalition has failed farmers. The climate emergency is already costing farmers a billion dollars a year, and farmers are feeling the brunt of the devastating heat, drought and fires more than most. They will be going bankrupt across the country, and regional jobs are going to be devastated by the climate crisis if we have a gas led recovery and if the government keeps propping up coal. The coalition should be ashamed of themselves. Of course we support the little they're doing, but we call on them, instead of passing self-congratulatory motions, to tackle devastating drought seriously by taking serious action on our climate crisis.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One Nation supported these programs and will support this motion. Our sense and integrity, though, mean that we need to go further, because the best drought resilience programs are not training programs on leadership. The best drought resilience programs are (1) water from dams; (2) restoration to, or compensation for, farmers who lost their rights to use the land they had bought and they owned when the Howard Liberal-Nationals government stole farmers' property rights to use their land in order for government to comply with the United Nations 1996 Kyoto protocol; (3) lower electricity costs; and (4) productive infrastructure. We must improve and restore Australia's productive capacity and economic resilience after years of governments handing sovereignty to UN treaties, protocols, declarations and agreements. Yesterday, in answer to my questions, Senator Cormann clearly and repeatedly put compliance with overseas agreements ahead of the needs of Australian citizens. Parliament and political parties must start to put the needs of Australians first— (Time expired)

Question agreed to.

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that the Greens' opposition to that motion be recorded.

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

Absolutely. It is so recorded.