Today in Question Time Barnaby Joyce was asked by one of his own National Party members to outline the Government’s plan for Australian Agriculture.
Here is his answer:
“I am happy to say that the other day I was loading sheep at $99 per lamb. They were second run lambs, so that was very good. I was selling cows the other day, like yourself. They were over $1,300 a head, which is very good. I was thinking about what a difference the government makes. I have been going through a few of the differences, and nothing tells a story like the numbers. Under those opposite, light steers out of Darwin were 165 cents a kilogram. Under us it is 270 cents per kilogram. That is up 63 per cent—63 per cent of a difference. Under those opposite, light heifers were 145 cents per kilogram. Under us it is 255 cents per kilogram. That is up 75 per cent because of our government. At the Roma Saleyards, big steers—over 500 kilograms—under them it was 160 cents a kilogram; under us, it is 232 cents a kilogram. That is up 45 per cent. If you go up to Roma, under them it was 164 cents a kilogram; under us it is 233 cents a kilogram. It is not just in the cattle market; go to dairy exports. Under them, Murray Goulburn opened up at 41 cents per litre Under us, it has opened up this year at 44 cents per litre—up seven per cent”.
As you can see, sadly, as per usual Barnaby Joyce rattled off a number of commodity prices rather than taking the opportunity to at least update the Parliament as to when farmers can expect to see the Abbott Government’s long awaited White Paper.
Our Australian farmers deserve better than this.
Barnaby just doesn’t get it!
TUESDAY, 10 FEBRUARY 2015
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