ANTI-AGRICULTURE GOVERNMENT
Editor,
Australian farmers are feeling disillusioned. I could barely believe it when I heard the politically conservative (in advocacy terms, not party politics) National Farmers Federation representatives staged a walk-out on Agriculture Minister Murray Watt’s post-budget breakfast speech.
This level of protest is very unlike NFF, but is one of so many examples of frustration across the farming community.
Perhaps the national feeling was summed up by Western Australia Farmers vice president Steve McGuire when he said, after the federal budget: “My wife and I even had that discussion: Do we keep farming because we don’t know what to do next? No matter what we say or do, the government might just chop it off. Common sense and good argument obviously has nothing to do with it.”
Unfortunately this is a deceptive government that does not value the contribution agriculture or the farming community in general makes to the nation. It does not even seem to understand there is a link between farming and the cost of living crisis, with policies that restrict food and fibre production forcing up food prices.
In southern NSW and northern Victoria, farmers are terrified at what the government may do next with the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Just as Mr McGuire said, it doesn’t matter what farmers do and common-sense plays no role. Decisions are solely based on winning capital city votes.
At present, the government is spending $12 million on a misleading Basin Plan advertising campaign as it attempts to woo voters with false images and rhetoric. But it continues to deliberately hide details on water buybacks, which will devastate regional communities, or provide any information on any structural adjustment packages, which suggests they are grossly inadequate.
Murray Watt refused to visit sheep farmers in Western Australia and talk openly with them before introducing his live sheep export ban, and likewise Water Minister Tanya Plibersek refuses to visit the areas which will be most affected by her approach to the Basin Plan. There are numerous other areas where our federal government appears to see farmers and agriculture as the necessary collateral damage to their city-based agenda.
I doubt Australia has ever had a government that is so anti-agriculture. Anthony Albanese promised to govern for everyone, but it seems his ‘everyone’ does not apply if you live outside a capital city and rely on farming and the economic prosperity it generates.
Yours faithfully,
Shelley Scoullar
Albury, NSW
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NO CARE ABOUT CARP CONUNDRUM
Dear Editor,
For how long will Australians endure the incompetence of our bureaucracies? The latest blunder by the long-winded Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (what a name!) is beyond comprehension.
Recently this department spent millions of dollars of our money, using what many believe are false images to portray the Murray River and its surrounds as an environmental basket case. Quite obviously, none of the Canberra and Sydney-based bureaucrats (just like their Minister) have bothered to visit the Murray region and learn it is nothing like their images project.
Now, I see they have used an image from Cronulla Bay as part of another Murray-Darling Basin misinformation campaign.
These incompetent bureaucrats, paid with our taxes, are spending $13 billion of our money on a Basin Plan that is failing rural Australia; it is failing real people who have lived experience, skin in the game and an unwavering desire to protect their environment.
While this department can find many millions for a false television advertising campaign, it can’t seem to find the money to rid our rivers of European carp, which any knowledgeable river scientist will tell you is the most serious problem our waterways are facing.
If they want crystal clear water, the first priority must be addressing the carp problem. But there’s no money for that, because there are no votes in it.
I cringe at where our nation is heading under some of this politically motivated incompetency, where ‘the good of the people’ runs a distant second to ‘the good of the politics’. Never has there been a more glaring example than with the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Yours faithfully,
Sue Braybon
Tocumwal, NSW
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A BUDGET FULL OF BROKEN PROMISES
The Allan Labor Government has released their budget for the upcoming year, and sadly it looks set to have a devastating impact on our region – and the entire state.
While Labor preaches that this is a budget of “disciplined decisions”, the reality is that it’s a budget full of broken promises and overcompensating for past mistakes.
Nearly $14 million for Broadford Primary School’s redevelopment has been cancelled, along with 28 other school projects that Labor promised during the 2022 election.
Seymour’s childcare centre looks set to be axed too, with funding for Labor’s new kindergarten and childcare rollout now taking a backseat due to a lack of forward thinking from this Government.
The budget also reveals that delays are likely to continue with the Kilmore Bypass too, as a lack of clarity about its funding and construction continue for yet another year.
$207 million has been cut from Public Health, on top of millions cut from dental services, aged care, ambulance services, health workforce training, and maternal and child health.
Another major area of concern in this budget is the ineffective support for child protection and family violence, something that major not-for-profits have already expressed disappointment in.
I will be releasing more information in the near future about how this devastating budget is impacting our community.
Annabelle Cleeland
Member for Euroa
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CREATING AN AUSTRALIAN REPUBLIC; BY AUSTRALIANS FOR AUSTRALIANS.
Two years ago, the Australian Republic Movement presented to the public the product of many years of work; their proposal for a method to replace the crown as the head of state. Which proposed that each of the State and Territory Parliament’s would put forth a select number of candidates (1) to the public; as would the Federal Parliament (3). We as a public would then be able to vote on those select eleven individuals every five years.
Republicanism in Australia has a long-standing history within our federation, having roots prior to the establishment of our current nation, however it dissipated significantly until the latter half of the 20th century. While many voters in my generation were not able to vote – or in my case even born – at the last referendum on the separation of Australia from the crown.
Despite the failure of the last referendum, overall voting percentage was not significant with only six percent separating the no result we had from a prospective national yes vote – albeit the states would be a distinct difference.
However, even amongst my generation, the apprehension and fear of switching to a republic is largely spawned by the uncertainty which change presents. Regardless of the capacity for positive outcomes for our nation. Our fear is nevertheless misplaced, under this paradigm the powers of the Executive branch would not be expanded, instead it only increases the protection mechanism in place for the Australian people, as they have the capability to evict an Executor from their role at each election if they fail to adequately represent our community.
Putting the irony aside of having a minister appointed by the Governor General whose primary responsibility is to replace the Governor General, it is a positive sign that there is clear intent from the current Government to support a republic, and while consensus is unclear amongst the Coalition, the Liberal Chair of a parliamentary group provided backing for the proposal previously discussed.
Politically, it seems as though the ball has been rolled and we are moving forward into a more republic-supportive era of Parliament. With younger Australians growing more likely to support a republic over a Constitutional Monarchy, it seems like it is now just a matter of time until the referendum is called once more to establish Australia as a republic, now under a new paradigm.
Yours sincerely,
Rowan Farren
Mooroopna
