Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, , 8:16:57 to 8:22:26
A heated exchange occurs regarding the government's responsibility to provide adjustment packages for rural communities affected by the agricultural net zero plan.
Topics: Emissions reduction, Government spending
Speakers: Speaker 5, Speaker 1, Uh The, Speaker 12
>> Senator just going to add to my colleagues comments um Senator Canavan and just to kind of I guess again encouraged a a broader view of this as well. We've uh we've talked about the um challenging impacts of drought um on farmers in this committee today as well. And I guess I'd just acknowledge that the diversification of incomes both um income streams that this um this this um work points to um also provides farmers with an extra stream of income which supports their resilience during difficult times. And I guess we're we're both concerned with productivity in the sector, but we're also concerned with
resilience. >> So does this um uh well, one thing, sorry, I've just got to correct the record. Uh Mr. Rick Wilson, the member for economy very diligent member of parliament. He's been uh watching intently. He does correct me that live sheep uh accounted for $120 million, I believe. So So we're talking about impact 20 times, just over 20 times the shutdown of the live sheep industry. Uh so it's very significant and again there is no zero assistance being offered by this government for this impact on rural communities. Can I check have you got any plans to well what is the assistance? Okay. Please, please enlight me. Watch. Sorry. Okay. Senator McCarthy, please enlighten me on
the assistance you're providing to Cbury. You just asked them.
>> I didn't ask a question. I just asked a question. Chair, I did not have a question. She interrupted an answer. Maybe you should
listen to yelled. She interrupted me. >> I'm listening. >> I just turned the heat down. >> So, Minister, you were going to say something. >> No, she interrupted me. Minister, I had to call Minister Minister was going to
say before I was rudely interjected on I was just going to say that we would never tell the farmers what to do with
their land. >> Okay. Well, no, but Minister McCarthy, Minister McCarthy, you said you said that there that my claim that there was zero assistance is not true. So what assistance are you providing the tentfield council to adjust to a 5 to 10% reduction agricultural production in
that area? >> Well, I would be more than happy to take that question on notice. >> But you just said you are providing assistance. >> I jumped in to say I jumped in to say you said our government is doing nothing. I jumped in to say that we would never ever tell farmers what to do with their land. That is my statement and I'm very happy to take your question. I know
>> I'll just ask you give you another chance. Maybe your advisor's in the back of the room there. You obviously don't know what you're talking about. So maybe your advisers could inform you.
>> I'll ask the minister Senator Minister Minister Minister Senator Kan. Everything's been going along ticky bird >> for a day and a bit and all of a sudden we're starting to scream at each other. No problem. Want to go out the back and sort it out, but let's not scream over each other. We're here for another five. >> So if you have a question, ask the question. >> We're here for another five or six
hours. If if any of your staff or people in the department >> can inform us about what assistance is available for Tentill, for Warren, uh for Streaky Bay, for the Air Peninsula, for the Caserie Coast, >> Chapman Valley, >> Chapman Valley. Thank you. Uh from my senator from Geraldton over there. any of those councils, maybe somebody could inform us, inform them more importantly by the end of the night about what assistance is available to them from the government imposing a net zero plan which is going to lower their agricultural production on the government's own figures by 5 to 10%.
>> Senator Canavan, thank you for the question and thank you to all of those who are watching that we will definitely take the questions on notice for those particular areas that you have raised which you could have raised a lot sooner. Thank you.
>> Well, the report was released before the report was released after the last estimates after my questioning about this. We've been actually questioning about this for years. >> I have taken the question and it was >> I have taken the questions. >> There's another interruption there. Chair, the minister keeps repeating the
conduct. >> Yeah, but then I hear you Senator Canavan. Then our good friend over there starts chirping in from Dazzy. I mean, this is the lowest common denominator. >> This is the lowest common. Don't start jumping at me, mate. I'm trying to keep a piece here. I'm saying what is this?
Let's go crazy. >> You'd have a better chance of doing it.
>> Just let's pull our heads in what people are looking. It's been very well behaved so far. Enjoying it.
>> Just want to correct the record. This report I lied. >> This report came out after >> the government had finalized an agricultural net zero plan >> after they' done the net zero plan. This is the first estimates we've had to ask questions report. I have given credit to ABS. I think it's a very good piece of work. It is just a shame that the government seems uninterested in the impacts on these small regional agricultural communities before finalizing its own net zero plans and is providing zero assistance to them to adjust to the government's own plans. >> That's not you to rebut me, but you provided no evidence
that you are providing. taken the questions on notice, Senator Canavan, and I say to all of those farmers and all of those councils that are watching, we will certainly take those questions on notice.
>> Well, it would be better if you could actually have some assistance for them. Um, so are you doing some additional work on the second round impacts we