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16-December-2011
Dear Friends, I want to thank the 15,000-plus people who have turned out at meetings on the Murray-Darling draft basin plan in Shepparton, Griffith and Deniliquin this week. The message was loud and clear, the government has a long way to go before they get this right. These towns can be very proud of the way their communities have come together to make their voice heard. The numbers that turned up are around double the numbers that showed up last year after the debacle that was the Guide to the draft Basin Plan. In effect, half of Griffith and Deniliquin showed up. If Melbourne turned out in these numbers, they would fill the MCG over 20 times. I also commend Minister Burke for fronting up to the meetings and hearing the real angst and frustration of these communities. Now that he has seen the principled and well-reasoned concerns he needs to act on them, but he will double the insult if he ignores them. Defending our food producers has hardly been the highest priority for this government. Through their actions this year, the Green-Labor-Independent government have put at risk our $300 million live cattle industry with their “brick through the window with a note attached” diplomacy. Today we have learnt that the Indonesian Government now plans to halve Australia’s exports of live cattle to Indonesia. If the government botches the Basin plan like they botched the live cattle issue then we must redouble our efforts next year. This is not just an issue for Shepparton, Griffith and Deniliquin; it is an issue for our whole nation. If you push a shopping trolley in Australia you are part of the Murray-Darling basin. It produces 40 per cent of our agricultural produce including almost 50 per cent of our fruit and over 60 per cent of our tomatoes. The Nationals have heard the people of the Murray-Darling loud and clear. We will not support a bad plan which costs jobs in regional Australia, throws families off farms and threatens the supply of quality, affordable food for all Australian families. Kind regards, Senator Barnaby Joyce Leader of The Nationals in the Senate Would you like to receive our regular Enewsletters? Subscribe here.