3 years ago
394 DAYS OF INACTION COST AUSTRALIAN FARMERS $39 MILLION
ED HUSIC MP
Australians will be stunned to learn that quality produce is being left to rot on farms across the country because the Morrison Government has again failed to do its job.
Today we learnt that the Government’s inaction on labour shortages has cost farmers $39 million in lost produce to date.
For years Australian farmers have been crying out for the Morrison Government to deliver a plan for the agricultural workforce. As usual, nothing has been done.
A quick snapshot of the Morrison Government’s failures:
Today we learnt that the Government’s inaction on labour shortages has cost farmers $39 million in lost produce to date.
For years Australian farmers have been crying out for the Morrison Government to deliver a plan for the agricultural workforce. As usual, nothing has been done.
A quick snapshot of the Morrison Government’s failures:
- It’s been 394 days since Scott Morrison promised farmers a National Agricultural Workforce Strategy. There is no strategy.
- in September, the Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister forced a half-baked Worker’s Code through National Cabinet. The Code doesn’t work.
- In December after the Code inevitably failed, Scott Morrison scrambled together an ad campaign to deliver the 26,000 workers Australian farmers need for harvest season. The ad hasn’t delivered.
- This came after the Morrison Government declared it has 22,000 overseas workers ready to get to work - but where are they?
- Worse still, the Minister for Agriculture turned his back on Coalition and Labor state and territory ministers who urged him to dedicate serious time to fixing labour shortages at December’s meeting of AGMIN.
David Littleproud labelled the state and territory agriculture ministers pushing him to fix these shortages “petulant children” – a contemptable response from an Agriculture Minister who has left farmers losing $39 million in product.
Australian farmers don’t need the Agriculture Minister’s name calling, or the Prime Minister’s spin, they need concrete solutions.
The Government must stop passing the buck to the states and start working or Australian produce will continue to rot on the ground.
Australian farmers don’t need the Agriculture Minister’s name calling, or the Prime Minister’s spin, they need concrete solutions.
The Government must stop passing the buck to the states and start working or Australian produce will continue to rot on the ground.