❓ Mr. Love questions the Premier on the federal government's responsibility regarding farmers' lack of confidence in the sheep market. The Premier defends federal support and accuses the opposition of politicising the issue.
AnsweredQoN 226Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
AGRICULTURE — DRY SEASON TASKFORCE
226. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
What responsibility does the Premier think federal Labor has for this current
situation in which farmers have no confidence in there being a market for their
sheep?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Premier.
226. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
What responsibility does the Premier think federal Labor has for this current
situation in which farmers have no confidence in there being a market for their
sheep?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Premier.
AnswerView source ↗
Madam Speaker, I think I have just
gone through a range of programs that people can access, which are sponsored by
the commonwealth government. Farmers can have absolute confidence that the
federal government will listen to their concerns and respond appropriately. I am
not quite sure why the member would politicise an issue such as this. This is
something that federal governments on both sides continue to respond —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.H. COOK : This has
nothing to do with a live sheep export industry, which continues today.
Ms M.J. Davies : You are
showing your ignorance, Premier.
Mr R.H. COOK : No, you cannot
change your argument midstream. The argument to date has been that farmers are
destocking because they lack confidence about the future of live animal
exports. What the Leader of the Opposition is talking about are the issues they
confront with their current livestock. If there are issues to do with their
current livestock —
Several members interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : No, just —
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Mr P.J. Rundle interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : Just shut up;
just be quiet. What the Leader of the Opposition is talking about at the moment
is the fact that they feel overstocked because of the current dry conditions.
Of course, they have all the industry, as it currently exists, to resolve those
issues. I understand that the member is trying to conflate drought-like
conditions with the political campaign he is running with live sheep exports,
but they do not match up and that is his problem here. This is a problem he has
always had. The opposition does not have any policies or values, so they have
nothing to fall back on when it comes to issues of this nature.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Mr R.H. COOK : This is not
a political issue. Commonwealth governments of all persuasions always back our
farming industry and back our farmers
because they know they are a backbone of our economy. They know that farmers —
Mr R.S. Love : That is
ridiculous. What a ridiculous statement.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Mr R.H. COOK : Madam Speaker,
the Leader of the Opposition now says that farmers are not the backbone of our
economy. That is the argument he is now making.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members, particularly
the opposition, the Premier has made it quite clear that he is not welcoming your interjections. Other members, I would
ask you not to respond to those interjections. Given it is a supplementary
question, I am hopeful that the Premier may draw his answer to a close.
Mr R.H. COOK : I am sorry,
Madam Speaker, that those opposite should try to politicise a difficult
situation for farmers at the moment. It is time for us to get behind our
farming community, to make sure we support them because not only are they doing
it tough financially, but obviously this will impact on their families, and, of
course, their wellbeing. We are looking at all opportunities to make sure we
back them, rather than provide a rank political commentary from the sidelines.
gone through a range of programs that people can access, which are sponsored by
the commonwealth government. Farmers can have absolute confidence that the
federal government will listen to their concerns and respond appropriately. I am
not quite sure why the member would politicise an issue such as this. This is
something that federal governments on both sides continue to respond —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.H. COOK : This has
nothing to do with a live sheep export industry, which continues today.
Ms M.J. Davies : You are
showing your ignorance, Premier.
Mr R.H. COOK : No, you cannot
change your argument midstream. The argument to date has been that farmers are
destocking because they lack confidence about the future of live animal
exports. What the Leader of the Opposition is talking about are the issues they
confront with their current livestock. If there are issues to do with their
current livestock —
Several members interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : No, just —
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Mr P.J. Rundle interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : Just shut up;
just be quiet. What the Leader of the Opposition is talking about at the moment
is the fact that they feel overstocked because of the current dry conditions.
Of course, they have all the industry, as it currently exists, to resolve those
issues. I understand that the member is trying to conflate drought-like
conditions with the political campaign he is running with live sheep exports,
but they do not match up and that is his problem here. This is a problem he has
always had. The opposition does not have any policies or values, so they have
nothing to fall back on when it comes to issues of this nature.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Mr R.H. COOK : This is not
a political issue. Commonwealth governments of all persuasions always back our
farming industry and back our farmers
because they know they are a backbone of our economy. They know that farmers —
Mr R.S. Love : That is
ridiculous. What a ridiculous statement.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Mr R.H. COOK : Madam Speaker,
the Leader of the Opposition now says that farmers are not the backbone of our
economy. That is the argument he is now making.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members, particularly
the opposition, the Premier has made it quite clear that he is not welcoming your interjections. Other members, I would
ask you not to respond to those interjections. Given it is a supplementary
question, I am hopeful that the Premier may draw his answer to a close.
Mr R.H. COOK : I am sorry,
Madam Speaker, that those opposite should try to politicise a difficult
situation for farmers at the moment. It is time for us to get behind our
farming community, to make sure we support them because not only are they doing
it tough financially, but obviously this will impact on their families, and, of
course, their wellbeing. We are looking at all opportunities to make sure we
back them, rather than provide a rank political commentary from the sidelines.
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