The head of the nation’s leading farmers’ group spoke to a rally in Canberra on Tuesday, demanding the Federal Government have greater consultation with food and fibre producers before passing legislation.
National Farmers’ Federation president David Jochinke addressed the 2000-strong crowd outside parliament house and was joined on stage by about 20 Coalition regional MPs, as well as Opposition leader Peter Dutton and deputy leader David Littleproud.
“The reason why you are here today, the reason why I am here today, is because I feel like we are getting stiffed,” Mr Jochinke said.
“We are proud farmers, we work the land, we look after over 55 per cent of this nation.
“I bloody well know what is best for this industry is decided by us.
“We deserve to be respected.“
The rally was organised to address many issues, including water buybacks, renewable energy, transmission lines and the Western Australia live sheep export ban.
Many farmers had driven large stock trucks from WA to attend the event.
NSW Irrigators’ Council members and water users joined the rally to oppose the government's water buybacks, adding weight to farmers demanding an end to anti-farming and anti-regional policies.
NSWIC CEO Claire Miller said the government had ignored the overwhelming feedback from Murray-Darling Basin communities who opposed water buybacks.
“We have had a gutful of our communities and our rivers being thrown under the bus by government policies based on outdated science and modelling, for no other purpose than shoring up city votes,” Ms Miller said.
“NSWIC’s position is that any water recovery for the environment must not have social or economic impacts on the communities that depend on water for their livelihoods.”
Nationals leader David Littleproud told the rally the Nationals were standing ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with farmers on every issue.
“Let me say to you all, I'm going to give you a commitment right here today,” Mr Littleproud said.
“We're going to return to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan that shows some common sense and uses science and technology rather than buybacks.”
Mr Littleproud also said the Opposition’s common-sense energy policy would not involve farmers’ livelihoods.
“This is about getting out of your life ... particularly when you talk about the wind turbines, solar panels and transmission lines that's tearing up our food security and tearing and pushing up everyone's food prices.
“We've got a sensible energy policy that ... should create jobs in regional Australia, not tear them up.”
A Liberal Party source said Opposition leader Peter Dutton was ‘100 per cent on board’, with Mr Dutton telling the rally the Opposition will reinstate WA’s live sheep export industry if it wins the next election.
During question time on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Littleproud said Australia’s share of the live trade market could be taken up by Sudan exporters and asked the PM if he thought Sudan had a higher animal welfare record than Australia.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had met with the NFF leadership this morning for ‘constructive’ discussions.
He said the live export trade during 2013-2022 had decreased from 2.1 million head to 475,000.
He said the value of that reduction was a loss of $144 million.
Mr Jochinke said he and NFF CEO Tony Mahar had met with Mr Albanese on Tuesday to oppose the ban on live sheep exports.
“We made it very clear we would don’t roll over on this issue,” Mr Jochinke said.
“We understand they have different opinions, but they are not our opinions.”
Mr Jochinke said bad policies created by activist ideology and not founded by farmers would ‘always be bad’ for agriculture.
“And those activist voices are loud and they are very well resourced, they have deep pockets,” he said.
“There are alternative voices that are united against us, and we don’t think they are the ones who should be setting the policy because we are the interface between the environment and the consumers.
“The reality is we stand between prosperity and the starvation of this nation.”