Labor bashing farmers already
3rd January, 2008
The new Rudd Government has confirmed the fears of regional and rural communities around Australia that it will embark on a new bout of “slash and burn”, the Leader of The Nationals, Warren Truss, said today.
Mr Truss said comments today by Labor’s Primary Industries Minister, Tony Burke, critical of exceptional circumstances drought assistance (and earlier criticism of the Regional Partnerships Program) are clear warnings that Labor is still consumed by its anti-farmer, anti-country vendetta.
When Kevin Rudd was “running Queensland”, he closed 13 country rail lines, removed more than 2,000 hospital beds, sacked 600 Department of Primary Industries staff, took 400 teaching jobs from regional schools and slashed services across regional Queensland.
According to reports today, Labor says it will review whether farmers continue to receive Exceptional Circumstances drought assistance based on whether they are ‘viable’.
Labor needs to know that non-viable farmers have never been eligible for Exceptional Circumstances drought assistance. To receive support, farmers must be able to pass a viability test administered by State Rural Adjustment authorities.
“In case Labor hasn’t realised, much of Australia has been caught in a cruel drought that in many places stretches back seven years,” Mr Truss said. “It is simplistic to claim that all the problems confronting the rural sector can be solved by more research into climate change.
“For Mr Burke to suggest that drought is just about farmers failing to come to grips with climate change shows just how little Labor’s Cabinet room knows about the country outside of the inner suburbs of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
“Over the past six years, the Federal Coalition Government provided more than $3.5 billion in much-needed drought assistance at a time when State Labor Governments walked away from their obligations to provide disaster aid. This is taxpayer’s money, carefully used to keep good farmers on the land until the drought recedes, and it has kept farm families fed, clothed and schooled.
“With wall to wall Labor across the nation, who will be there to help families when another drought comes?”
Labor’s election platform provides no new money for agriculture, fisheries and forestry. It axes the majority of the former Government’s training, industry development and adjustment programs and leaves only funding for climate change research.
“Labor lost touch with country Australians decades ago and the new Sydney-based Agriculture Minister should listen to farmers before pronouncing magic cures for industry ailments,” Mr Truss said.
