During the last federal election campaign Barnaby Joyce visited cattle producers to capitalise on their discontent over the compulsory levy they pay for research and development and marketing purposes.
The now Agriculture Minister promised big things including a Senate committee inquiry.
Two years on and seven committee recommendations later, Barnaby Joyce has decided to do nothing.
The cattle industry is dismayed and producers are angry. The sector's leadership was ready to accept and progress reform and devoted considerable time and money to the Senate Inquiry and has now lost two years of valuable reform time.
It is clear Barnaby Joyce's internal political problems are distracting him from his key duties as Minister.
In the grains sector, after promising reform there too, he has decided it's all too difficult to determine which organisation should become the industry's Representative Organisation. Again, he has chosen to do nothing.
An increasingly discredited agriculture white paper, internal fights with his Coalition colleagues, problems in the live export and horticulture sectors, forced agency relocations and increasing criticism from peak industry organisations are combining to give the agriculture portfolio the look of chaos.
It's time for some serious reflection for Barnaby Joyce.
THURSDAY, 16 JULY 2015
Be the first to comment
Sign in with