Agriculture Minister Change Brings No Hope for Farmers, Says Littleproud

The Nationals Leader, David Littleproud, has expressed that the appointment of Julie Collins as the new Agriculture Minister won’t improve the situation for farmers under the Albanese Labor Government.

After a cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese moved Senator Murray Watt to a different position, leaving Collins to take on the agriculture portfolio. Littleproud criticized Labor’s actions over the past two years, stating they have negatively impacted the agricultural sector.

According to Littleproud, Labor’s agenda has resulted in increased taxes, reduced funding, and the abolition of industries, all of which are contributing to skyrocketing living costs for Australian families.

He further commented that Collins is unlikely to bring about any real change, claiming that for Labor members, the agriculture portfolio is often viewed as a stepping stone to higher positions in the cabinet.

Littleproud recalled Collins’s previous stint as Shadow Minister for Agriculture, mentioning that she only met with farmers in Tasmania twice in 18 months and struggled to present any concrete Labor policies during election debates.

Furthermore, he accused Collins of lacking genuine interest in agriculture and suggested that her move to this new role is a result of her poor performance in housing policy. He warned that not only farmers would be affected but that all Australians would face rising prices for food and other agricultural products.

The dissatisfaction with the Labor Government’s handling of farming issues has led to an unprecedented vote of no-confidence from the agriculture industry, something that hasn’t been seen in the last four decades, according to Littleproud.

He emphasized that the only significant achievement of Murray Watt and Anthony Albanese has been to unite various agricultural industries in their strong disapproval of the government.

Littleproud criticized the government for being slow to address major issues, including supermarket price gouging and proposed taxation on fresh foods, alongside the abolition of the live sheep export industry.

He called on Collins to take immediate action on several pressing issues, such as reinstating the live sheep export industry, scrapping the proposed Fresh Food Tax, and preventing major supermarkets from exploiting farmers and families through unfair practices.

Other priorities Littleproud highlighted included reinstating the ag visa, protecting agricultural land from developers, and advocating against policies that could harm family farming operations.

He concluded his remarks by highlighting the contempt that Murray Watt showed toward Australian farmers during his time as Agriculture Minister and raised concerns that Collins might not treat them any better.