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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-11-14 Daily Xml
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FARM FINANCE PACKAGE

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (14:56): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries a question regarding farm finance.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: I recount the history of questions asked in this place about the former Labor government's farm finance package. On 30 April 2013, I asked the minister if she had received a letter from former minister Ludwig, given he was encouraging state ministers and governments to get behind the program. The minister said she had got a text or email about the wonderful package of assistance and that the government was in discussions with the former government about delivery mechanisms for the loans. Then, in April, the minister said she agreed with me that it was important to expedite this.

The Leader of the Opposition in this place and shadow agriculture minister asked, on 19 June 2013, whether any money under the program had been provided to South Australian farmers. The minister said the government was then negotiating to establish a fund administrator, which meant a lot of work, but she admitted that other jurisdictions already had that in place. The minister said negotiations were continuing but she hoped it would commence 13 days later on 1 July.

The Hon. Mr Ridgway asked again on 25 July why South Australia had not signed up yet. The minister said the federal Labor government had initiated discussions with other states and was 'slowly working around the nation' and 'they have only really just come to South Australia'. On a supplementary, the minister said we would sign up when we got the best deal for South Australian farmers.

Finally in this chronology, to help the minister and the council, in answer to my question last Thursday on the drought conditions in the north-eastern pastoral areas of South Australia, I asked about the farm finance package that other states and the Northern Territory signed up to in time. What did the minister say? She had a sad story, blaming the new federal government for ripping off South Australian farmers. However, she also said the submission to get SA on board was submitted 'prior to caretaker provisions being put in place'. My questions therefore are:

1. Will the minister tell us today, or commit to come back to this place next sitting week and tell us when all the other participating jurisdictions submitted their commitment to the farm finance package and were, in turn, approved by the former federal government?

2. How long prior to caretaker does the minister mean her government submitted its paperwork to be part of the package?

3. Why did the government sit back and wait for its turn on farm finance negotiations, rather than be proactive to ensure that we didn't miss out on our fair share?

4. Does the minister accept, on reflection, that her government in fact dropped the ball for South Australian farmers on the former federal government's farm finance package?

5. In light of how this sad story played out, regardless of who the minister wants to blame, will the state government reach into its own pockets to replace the money South Australian farmers have now missed out on?

The PRESIDENT: Before I call you, minister, I remind you—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Minister, I remind you to ignore the opinion and the debate, which was most of it.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:59): It is an absolute disgrace that the new Liberal federal government has ripped out of the hands of our South Australian farmers $10 million over two years for farm finance assistance. It is an absolute disgrace. How could this South Australian government sign an agreement with the federal government when the federal government has simply refused to furnish us with an agreement to sign? They have failed to provide South Australia with an agreement to sign. They have simply failed to provide us with an agreement. We cannot sign something we do not have.

We have pushed and shoved right from the outset—pushed and shoved, kicking and screaming—both the former federal government and now the Liberal federal government; we have pushed and shoved them into attempting to have this finalised. The current federal government has dragged its feet. I contacted them, as I have put on record before. The South Australian government agreed to the guidelines with the former federal government. They were agreed this year, before caretaker mode and before the election. The federal government at that time failed to progress that, then we went into caretaker mode, then election. As soon as the new government was elected and minister Barnaby was appointed, again I contacted him and drew attention to the fact that those guidelines had been agreed to and a commitment had been given to $60 million. It is an absolute disgrace.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Ridgway will come to order! Minister.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: You can see why South Australian farmers have every right to be absolutely outraged to have $10 million of their $60 million diverted to other states. It was not only diverted but it was agreed to. An agreement was given by the former federal Labor government to give South Australia a package of $60 million for farm financing. That is on the record. An agreement was given and an announcement was made by the former federal government at the time.

The former federal government committed to give our farmers $60 million over two years. That commitment was given. What failed to occur was that the federal government failed to furnish a contract agreement to South Australia for signing, and we have seen a Liberal government fail to honour that former agreement. The current Liberal government has failed to honour that former agreement. They have reneged on a deal—reneged on a deal.

And what have we heard from the Liberal government? What have we heard Mr Steven Marshall say or do to defend South Australian farmers? Nothing; there has been complete and utter silence from the opposition. We have heard nothing from them to come out and defend South Australian farmers. At least the Hon. Robert Brokenshire has actually come out and tried to defend South Australian farmers. But not a murmur, not a squeak, not a peep out of Mr Steven Marshall or the opposition. I have not heard a word of them calling on minister Barnaby to return that $10 million to South Australian farmers. Where has their commitment been? Where have their demands been? There is not one skerrick of evidence of any attempt by any member of the Liberal opposition to demand minister Barnaby—

The PRESIDENT: Joyce.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —Barnaby Joyce return that $10 million to South Australia. What a disgrace they are! They refuse to stand up for South Australian farmers—what a disgrace! They should be ashamed of themselves.

I continue to say to the minister: we are ready to sign, we have agreed to the guidelines, we are ready, willing and able to sign up; where is the contract? He has failed to provide us with that contract—simply failed to provide us with the contract. So, it is an absolute disgrace, and that is because the federal Liberal government does not care about South Australian farmers. They do not give one dot about this state.

What they have done is siphon off our funds to Queensland. These funds were not to be a fire relief strategy. They were part of a farming resilience strategy, yet he has siphoned off, he has taken out of the hands of our farmers—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Because you were too lazy and too disorganised to sign up.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Ridgway will come up with something new, if you are to interject, which will be out of order.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —ripped out of the hands of our farmers $10 million to siphon off to another jurisdiction. Not one member opposite me, not even the leader Steven Marshall, has made one attempt—not one attempt—to demand that minister Barnaby Joyce return that $10 million.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Yes, we have demanded you sign the deal.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Well, why don't you stand up and demand the return of the $10 million? Why don't you stand up and demand that your federal colleagues return that $10 million to our South Australian farmers? Why don't you have the guts to do that? Why don't you have the guts to stand up and fight for South Australian farmers? Because they're too gutless, that's why—they are just way too gutless. They cower in the shadow of their federal mates. They are just gutless.

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