Hanson calls for Ag Minister McKenzie’s resignation over dairy debacles

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MEDIA RELEASE

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is calling for National Party Senator Bridget McKenzie to resign as Agriculture Minister over her diabolical management of the draft mandatory dairy code of conduct and The Nationals’ refusal to back the Protecting Australian Dairy Bill.

Senator Hanson said the exposure draft of the code was very poorly written, not in plain English, was a significant departure from previous drafts, and failed to include the recommendations of the recent ACCC’s dairy inquiry.

She added that Minister McKenzie had also misled the public by quoting from a previous superceded code during an ABC radio interview on Monday, October 28, and during Question Time today.

“Senator McKenzie’s handling of this whole code issue has been diabolical, it’s an absolute dog’s breakfast,” Senator Hanson said.

“Her failures have been further aggravated when she refused to answer genuine questions in the Senate today in a frank and honest manner.

“It seems obvious to me that she has no interest in drafting a code that responds to the issues and gives dairy farmers surety in their struggling industry.

“I’ve said all along that she has a huge conflict of interest here – if she wants to be a senator representing Victoria, where some producers don’t want the code, fair enough, but the role of Minister is for all of Australia and she’s failing that role miserably.

“The Prime Minster stepped in to get the mandatory code drafted as a priority after I forced the issue.

“Senator McKenzie should resign from the agricultural portfolio immediately, for the sake of the dairy industry across Australia and agriculture generally.

“The Nationals have been desperately trying to claw back some respectability with farmers and the bush over this matter, even claiming they’re on top of things and have been working on the code for more than a year, but let’s see how keen they are to take responsibility for this mess today.

“In a radio interview last month, Senator McKenzie read from what was inferred was the new code, but it was actually the old code, and things have changed considerably in recent drafts, so she’s obviously not across her brief or she’s being deliberately misleading.

“I’m dumbfounded over what has been her incompetence on this matter; it beggars belief, so I think she has no option but to resign.”

Senator Hanson said the draft was so poorly written that it was possibly not drafted by the Office of Parliamentary Council.

“Senator McKenzie failed to clarify this properly in Question Time today,” Senator Hanson said.

“I’d like to know who drafted it and when – maybe it’s a rush job to make up for lost time.”

Senator Hanson was commenting over the exposure draft of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (Industry Code – Dairy).

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Nationals Kill Dairy Rescue Bill

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STATEMENT

Many may not be aware of events that occurred in the Senate today, November 11.

I put forward a private senator’s bill that, among other things, aimed to help safeguard the dairy industry by introducing a minimum farm gate price for milk to ensure dairy farming families in Australia could remain viable.

Unfortunately, the Bill was defeated by 31 to 30.

It was most telling that senators from the Liberal and National parties all voted against the Bill, which, in my view, proved to all of us that The Nationals are no longer “the party of the bush”.

As I said in my speech, the Government has been unable to explain to me how dairy farmers would be disadvantaged by the setting of a minimum farm gate price for milk.

In the lead up to today’s Senate debate, I made sure the Government was drawn to the fact that milk is being sold below the cost of water on supermarket shelves.

I also made clear that milk is being sold below the cost of production, and yet the government has kept sitting on its hands, as supermarkets Coles and Woolworths, together with a handful of milk processors, used their market power to control the supply chain and destroy dairy farms and rural Australia.

Our farmers have been systematically squeezed, tighter and tighter, as processors and retailers work together to reduce their profits to virtually nil while filling their own pockets and the pockets of their shareholders. This scenario has quite realistically been pushing Australia ever closer to dependence on imported milk.

The farmers have been dealing with this crushing attitude from their corporate customers, while also dealing with the ever-rising costs of production – fodder, water, electricity, council rates bills, fuel and more.

But the Bill was not just about helping dairy farmers. It was also about maintaining and growing the rural communities that support and depend on farms. It was about food security because we have a need to be self-sufficient in dairy products, including fresh milk.

It’s a poor reflection on the Government today that it was One Nation that has had to take the lead on this matter.

The Liberals and Nationals very clearly turned their backs on the people that they claim to represent, so the Bill was defeated.

I thank Labor, the Greens and Jacqui Lambie who put their political differences aside and supported the Bill.

Australia needs its farmers, and One Nation intends to continue giving them the support they need.

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Hanson-Katter Drought Tour wins interest-free loans for farmers

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MEDIA RELEASE

The Hanson-Katter tour of drought affected west Queensland has convinced the Government to introduce interest-free loans to struggling farmers and rural businesses.

Interest free loans have been raised at various community meetings on the tour as a sensible strategy that would help alleviate the financial hardship of farmers and businesses enduring the eighth straight year of drought.

“This by far is the greatest accomplishment that One Nation and Katter Australia have achieved from our tour,” Senator Hanson said.

“We took up the challenge, and we put the drought on the agenda, and this announcement is the result.

“Interest-free loans were raised from day one of the tour, last Monday, and it was mentioned constantly through the media and the public forums.

“This victory is glaring proof that when you listen to the people, listen to their suggestions, and make sure their views are given a good airing, that you can convince the Government to take action.

“And it wouldn’t have been possible without Australia’s number one radio broadcaster Alan Jones, who has not let up on making sure the issue was front and centre in the minds of all Australians.

“I want to thank all these amazing residents of Charleville, Cunnamulla, St George, Surat, Roma and the people who drove for many miles to come and see us; thanks for your inspirational resilience, you make us proud to be Australian.”

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Pauline Hanson supports Bradfield Scheme, but China can’t own it!

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MEDIA RELEASE

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is warning Queenslanders not to let the LNP contract a foreign company to build any Bradfield-type water scheme, which could see taxpayers being forced to pay for their own water.

Senator Hanson said a typical LNP approach was to allow overseas companies to own major state infrastructure, and then charge the Government and taxpayers to get any benefit for it. 

“Any water that is harvested in Queensland belongs to Queenslanders, and we must make sure we retain ownership and keep getting ongoing benefits from the completed infrastructure,” Senator Hanson said.

“The feasibility study used by LNP leader Deb Frecklington to support its policy is one that suggests foreign investment, foreign builders and then foreign ownership – the last thing we need is for a country like China to build and own an iconic project like this.

“I won’t stand to see Queenslanders paying China for our own water, all because the LNP is too timid to take on a project like this on its own, with Australian engineers and workers.

“LNP and also Labor Governments have a track record of selling off infrastructure to foreigners, and I want Queenslanders to join me to fight together to stop this happening again.”

Senator Hanson was responding to the announcement that an LNP Government would build a Bradfield-type Scheme if it wins the October 2020 Queensland election. The scheme proposes building dams in the high rainfall areas of north Queensland and piping the water to western Queensland to help irrigate farm lands and increase flows to river systems, including the Murray-Darling.

Senator Hanson also questioned why the Liberal and Nationals had had such a sudden change of heart over the Bradfield-type Scheme, which has been a long-term One Nation policy that has been criticised regularly in the past.

“Barnaby Joyce gave some support to it but was quickly told to get back in his box, and then I raised it in the Senate and the Liberals and Nationals voted against it,” Senator Hanson said.

“The LNP has hardly spoken a word of it, even criticising me for raising it, but now that there’s an election looming they’ve decided to steal the One Nation policy and run with it.”

In a Notice of Motion in February, Senator Hanson asked: “That the Senate calls on the Federal Government immediately to allocate $10 billion to commence the construction of the much-needed hybrid Bradfield Scheme.”

In response, Assistant Minister Senator Anne Ruston said: “The Bradfield Scheme requires high up-front capital costs and, coupled with the ongoing running costs, would make the project unviable”.

The Senate voted 4 in favour and 46 against Senator Hanson’s idea.

Water Resources Minister David Littleproud was also quoted in the media in August as saying, “Those that want to solely [support] the Bradfield scheme actually do no benefit to the cause of water infrastructure.”

“We shouldn’t be holding onto something that is some years old and was discredited many years later,” he is reported as saying.

One Nation supported the building of a hybrid Bradfield Scheme as 2017 State Election and 2019 Federal Election policies. The party has for years been criticised for persisting with the plan, yet that persistence has now paid off by generating wider acceptance of the ambitious idea.

“A hybrid Bradfield Scheme needs to be built now – not in five years’ time. If I had been in control, it would already be happening,” Senator Hanson said.

“I’ve said all along that this is a game-changing project, and I’m glad that others are now talking about it. It’s early days, and we still need to wait and see if the LNP actually is able to win the election, which is very far from a given, and then see if it actually proceeds with the scheme.”

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A small price to pay to support struggling farmers

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor,

I’m pleased to have seen such a huge groundswell of public support from around Australia for our dedicated and struggling dairy farmers.

Many of you would be aware of my success in having a code of conduct fast-tracked for the dairy industry, which, among other things, will help set a minimum farm gate price for milk and therefore help farmers actually make a profit.

I hope that local residents will continue to show support for the industry by backing my proposal to add 10c to the price of each litre of milk, with that money guaranteed to go directly to the farmers.

Australians generally have great respect for our farming families. We know it is a tough job, often very isolating, impacted by many uncertainties, and financially challenging – this lifestyle is all the more difficult when there is a lack of adequate government understanding and support for the industry.

Thankfully, convincing the Australian Government to introduce the long-awaited code of conduct is a positive step forward. I have also introduced a private senator’s bill to set certain safeguards for the industry into law.

But more can be done, starting with all of us doing our bit to support the farmers by buying their produce – specifically, milk.

To put it into context, we seem to be happy paying $2 for a litre of water, and paying even more for fancy products like almond and rice milk and even up to $7 for a two-litre bottle of coconut water.

So, I think paying an extra 10c for a litre of milk is a sensible move that will help our farmers. It’s also a good investment in our rural communities and the future of Australia.

Kind regards

Senator Pauline Hanson

One Nation Leader

Senator for Queensland

END

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Hanson urges Nationals to put aside differences with One Nation to help farmers

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MEDIA RELEASE

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has written to every National Party MP and Senator in the Australian Parliament, urging them to put aside their differences with the One Nation party for the sake of supporting struggling dairy farmers.

The letter asks the National Party parliamentarians to follow the leadership of Labor, which has announced it will support Senator Hanson’s Protecting Australian Dairy Bill 2019.

“Labor has today announced its support to pass the Dairy Bill and I am calling on you to put aside your internal and external differences with One Nation and unite with me to pass this Bill for the sake of Australian dairy farmers,” Senator Hanson wrote in the letter.

“This may require you to cross the floor.

“Dairy farmers have been leaving the industry since it was deregulated in 2000. At that time the population of Australia was around 19 million people and the dairy industry produced close to 12 billion litres of fresh milk a year. 

“Nearly 20 years later Australia’s population is more than 25 million and milk production has fallen to 8.8 billion litres a year. 

“We are in real danger of losing access to fresh milk and becoming reliant on milk powder imported from another country.”

The letter comes at a time when the National Party, which is traditionally the party of the bush and farmer, has reportedly been in disarray. There have also been news reports of anger within the party due to Senator Hanson’s success in securing a key code of conduct for dairy farmers and milk processors.

Senator Hanson last week secured the support of Labor and the Greens to win a Senate Inquiry into the dairy industry, despite Liberals and National senators voting against the proposal.

Senator Hanson’s letter reminded the Nationals that the purpose of the Bill was to improve the viability of the dairy industry by tasking the ACCC to establish a minimum farm price for milk, to legislate a mandatory code of conduct for the relationship between farmers and milk processors, and to make a referral for investigation of the industry by the Productivity Commission. 

Senator Hanson clarified that she is prepared to advise the National Party further if needed.

“My open door policy should give you the confidence to speak with me should you need any further information,” Senator Hanson wrote.

END

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Senator Hanson questions if returning tested pills is illegal

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MEDIA RELEASE

One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson has questioned the legality of handing back pills that have been tested at music festivals.

Senator Hanson suggested the practice was akin to turning a blind eye to, and even being complicit in, the commission of a crime.

The issue was raised by Senator Hanson in Senate Estimates today with Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece P Kershaw, during hearings conducted by the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee.

Senator Pauline Hanson questions

Senator Hanson asked: “How is it that, outside of the venue, it is illegal to take illicit drugs, but you can go to a venue, you can have your pill tested, it is then handed back to you and saying, ‘It’s ok for you to take that pill?’ Where is the line that it is classified as abiding by the laws of the nation, and not?”

Commissioner Kershaw responded by saying: “I think it goes back to, obviously, if people possess those drugs and they’re an offence, then we’ll enforce that.”

The response followed a string of questions by Senator Hanson that focussed on the police battle against the use and import of illicit drugs.

Senator Hanson: “Is the drugs coming into Australia on the up, or are we keeping it under control?”

Commissioner Kershaw: “We have seen an increase. I mean, Australia is a target market for organised crime given the fact that our price and profit margin for organised crime remains quite high.”

He added however, that the AFP worked very closely with international police – including in Myanmar, Columbia and Mexico – and had achieved successes in their campaign, however Australia’s sentences for crimes may not deter the importers.

Senator Hanson: “(Are) the sentences that we hand out in Australia for illicit drugs determin(ing) the impact or the amount of imports, or the manufacture of drugs in the country? Does that have an impact on it, coming down to the court system, and people selling their drugs?”

Commissioner Kershaw: “I think with organised crime, they’re prepared to operate anywhere, including where there’s jurisdictions where capital punishment exists; they’re quite capable and they will use whatever means they can to make a profit. So, we have very strong laws in Australia as far as sentences go; however, I’m not convinced that that comes into their thinking, at times.”

The commissioner also noted the very real issue of international drug criminals moving into rural communities.

“…regional communities in Australia now are a target too of organised crime and overseas based syndicates, so that’s something we will continue to focus on,” he told the Senate hearings.

Senator Hanson also said she had the greatest respect for the AFP and the work that it does.

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Pauline Hanson secures Senate investigation of dairy industry

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MEDIA RELEASE

A Senate investigation into the performance of Australia’s dairy industry since deregulation in 2000 has been secured by One Nation senator Pauline Hanson.

The Senate voted 33 to 28 in favour of Senator Hanson’s request for what will be a “very broad” inquiry into the industry.

The deregulation of the dairy industry was controversial almost two decades ago and unrest has never completely subsided over the ensuing years.

“The whole dairy industry has been a mess over recent years, and it really doesn’t look like getting much better on its own any time soon, so it is quite vital that we conduct this inquiry to identify and expose the problems, and introduce solutions,” Senator Hanson said.

“The inquiry will be very broad, focusing on industry management, profitability, funding and government support, regulation of farm gate prices, and other issues.”

The One Nation leader has been laser-focussed in her determination to have changes introduced to make sure the industry does not die and so Australia doesn’t become dependent on imported milk and dairy products.

“As I have said many times, we cannot allow our dairy industry to crumble to such desperate lows that farmers simply walk off the land or, worse still, resort to other drastic actions like suicide, which has occurred in an unacceptable number of cases,” Senator Hanson said.

“The fact that there has been little meaningful support from Government only makes the battle even more hopeless and lonely for many struggling dairy farmers.

“We need them to stay profitable, so they can keep producing milk and provide for their families, and to preserve their chosen way of life, which has been that way for generations.”

The inquiry will be conducted via the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee. It is scheduled to report back with its findings and recommendations in March 2020.

Topics included in Senator Hanson’s notice of motion, including an examination of the ability of Dairy Australia to act independently and support the interests of both farmers and processors, the accuracy of statistical data collected by Dairy Australia and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the funding of Dairy Australia and its consultation and engagement on certain expenditures, the merits of tasking the ACCC to investigate how it can regulate the price of milk per litre paid by processors to dairy farmers to ensure a viable dairy industry, the introduction of a mandatory industry code of practice, and related matters.

Senator Hanson is encouraged that those and other matters will now be thoroughly investigated by the Parliament, to the benefit of the dairy industry and farmers.

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Hanson highlights Minister McKenzie dairy industry conflict of interest

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MEDIA RELEASE

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson says Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie has a conflict of interest that might be preventing her dealing promptly with the new dairy industry code of conduct.

Senator Hanson has been pushing for the introduction of the code, which will, among other things, set a fair farm gate price for milk and help shore up the viability of Australia’s dairy farms and the industry generally.

However, she noted that Minister McKenzie’s home state Victoria was the only state in which its industry opposed the introduction of the code.

Victoria has more dairy farms than all the other states combined. It is the only state in which farmers don’t have contracts with milk processors due to strong competition between processors. Victoria also exports considerable quantities of milk to other states.

Senator McKenzie is up for re-election at the next federal election, due in 2022.

“It’s a great concern to me that the livelihoods of dairy farmers, who are desperately waiting for some farm gate price support for their milk, might be waiting in vain due to some political reason,” Senator Hanson said.

“I hope it’s not true, but with the years of delays and Government slackness in introducing this important document, I am now starting to wonder.”

The need for the code was raised in 2014 by Australian Dairy Council and Dairy Australia. The Government in September 2018 assured it was working toward introducing the code, however, Minister McKenzie earlier this week told the Senate the draft code was only now about to progress to its third round of community consultation. 

The Government has recently suggested an introduction date of June next year; however, Senator Hanson wants it introduced ASAP – by the end of the year at the latest.

“We can get the draft out, have a few weeks of consultation, and have the code introduced and in action by the end of the year,” Senator Hanson said. “I urge the Government – just do it!”

Senator Hanson has for years highlighted poor farm gate prices, crushing contracts, rising power and water costs making dairy farming unviable, and probably forcing Australia toward dependence on imported milk.

The issue came to a head on the weekend with her ultimatum that One Nation would stop voting in support of non-critical government  business until it agreed to reregulate the dairy industry.

Senator Hanson asked in the Senate on Monday: “Why has the government waited until there has been a mass exodus of dairy farmers before realising a code of practice is required?”

Minister McKenzie: “That’s actually not true. Our government has been taking steps to stand by dairy farmers and the industry more broadly over many many years… getting this code in place is an important commitment we have made. There’s no hold up, whatsoever, on our side, to get this in place, to give the farmers the security they need”.

However, Senator Hanson noted that she had raised concerns about the industry in a Notice of Motion in the Senate on 13 September 2018, including requests to “provide immediate additional financial support to dairy farmers who cannot feed their herds”, and to “regulate the price of milk per litre paid by processors to dairy farmers to ensure a viable dairy industry”.

At the time, the Government responded: “The government strongly supports Australia’s dairy farmers and the dairy industry and acknowledges that many are doing it tough at present…. The government will work to address the significant imbalance in bargaining power and marketing information for dairy farmers through the code and particularly through its dispute resolution mechanism and other means where suitable”.

Queensland Labor Senator Anthony Chisholm added at the time: “Whilst there are many points Labor could provide strong support for, sadly there are other points that have an eye more to an election, rather than to assisting farmers….  Labor has been working closely with the dairy industry.”

“This is total BS from both the Government, which has done nothing substantial in years, and from Labor; they’re just playing the political game at the expense of farmers’ lives and livelihoods because they don’t like One Nation,” Senator Hanson said.

“It’ll be interesting to see what excuses they come up with next for doing next-to-nothing.”

Senator Hanson noted that milk production in Australia at its peak in 2000 was 12-billion litres annually, but fell to 9.5-billion litres last year and to 8.8-billion this year. She is pushing for a regulated farm gate price.

Link to 2018 Notice of Motion exchange: https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?id=2018-09-13.57.1

Link to video of Monday’s Senate Question Time exchange: https://bit.ly/2B8JEhH

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Hanson demands estimates “questions time” for crossbench senators

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MEDIA RELEASE

One Nation senator Pauline Hanson wants cross bench senators to be given a fairer amount of time to ask questions during senate estimates.

Senator Hanson said One Nation and other crossbenchers often had their opportunities to ask questions relegated toward the end of estimates sessions, when time is short or running out, meaning their concerns often were unable to be raised, let alone receive responses.

“It’s important for the sake of democracy that the crossbenchers, who are vital in Australia’s parliamentary processes, are also given a fair chance to raise important issues regarding Australia’s public service operations,” Senator Hanson said.

“It’s a concern that crossbenchers are sometimes treated as second-class citizens during estimates, as if they don’t matter in ensuring the integrity of our public service.

“I could argue that the crossbench questions are often vital, because they are focussed on exposing issues of concern that the government might prefer are swept under the carpet or glossed over.

“I hope that committee chairs do the right thing and ensure all panel members get equal and significant opportunities to participate in this important democratic procedure.”

Senate estimates will be held October 21 – 25.

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