Barnaby Joyce announced today a minuscule reduction in the interest rate farmers pay on drought concessional loans. So he should, the tiny change reflects a fall in the Commonwealth's borrowing costs.
But the change will do nothing for the majority of drought affected farming families who have either not been able to secure a loan, or have decided the assistance is too difficult to access and too modest that it's not worth the bother or the strain on their relationship with their bank.
The Abbott Government's drought packages have failed drought affected farming families. It's last attempt cost it no additional money - stealing money from one failed package to fund another which only promises assistance post-drought.
Barnaby Joyce's media release today could not have been done in the hope of fooling farmers, he surely knows they know better.
Rather, it's designed to give the broader community the impression they are doing more to help farmers. They should not be fooled either.
Government spin: 10 out of 10. Assistance to farmers: 0
SATURDAY, 10 JANUARY 2014
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