IN this week’s Stock Journal election coverage, candidates for the federal electorate of Barker – Liberal Tony Pasin, Labor’s Mat O’Brien, Nick Xenophon Team’s James Stacey, Family First’s Yvonne Zeppel and Greens’ Mark Keough – discuss the state of agriculture in SA.
What is the most critical issue for SA agriculture, and how will you tackle it?
PASIN: We are focused on delivering policies that target critical agricultural issues in SA, including developing new export markets and the further development of transport and communications infrastructure. I will continue advocating for much-needed mobile coverage in rural areas.
O’BRIEN: Prices for dairy and produce being unsustainably low. As an MP, I would represent the communities affected by these issues and advocate their views. Farmers don't want more debt in the form of concessional loans and water is also a huge issue.
STACEY: Farm profitability is the most critical issue for SA ag. Commodity levies and government investment in research and development need to be directed back to farmers to improve on-farm profitability.
ZEPPEL: The most critical concern is the state of the River Murray and low water allocations. The state government must stop using SA Water as a cash cow and run its desalination plant at full capacity before taking any water from the Murray.
KEOUGH: We need to boost funding for research and development to address the broad, cross-sectoral issues our farmers are facing, like climate change, and energy and water challenges. The Greens are committed to investing more than $175 million in R&D Australia-wide.
Is enough being done to help farmers in times of crisis such as drought or price cuts?
PASIN: We’re committed to helping farming families prepare for, manage and recover from times of crisis. The government has delivered more than $710m in drought assistance, with a further $2.5 billion set aside for drought concessional loans for the next 10 years.
O’BRIEN: The myth that Liberal governments look out for farmers has been destroyed as they have watched on while farmers suffer price cuts – their only solution is to offer more debt to people who don’t want more debt.
STACEY: A Farm Management Deposits cap increase and accelerated depreciation for drought preparedness infrastructure are a positive move. Household support payments for farmers in crisis are working well, unfortunately drought concessional loans often become entangled in state government bureaucracy, making them difficult to access.
ZEPPEL: SA was ripped off when the drought affected water allocations and irrigators are suffering severe water restrictions. I would push for fairer treatment of SA farmers in times of crisis.
KEOUGH: No. There are many possible strategies that are better than present practices. One key issue is the lack of competition in food retail business that undermines many on-farm incomes.
What are your views on foreign investment and mining on prime farming land in your electorate?
PASIN: The sale of some of Australia’s largest rural holdings to foreign nationals would be detrimental to our national interest. The government has strengthened rules regarding foreign investment in farmland by lowering threshold triggers to the Foreign Investment Review Board and establishing a foreign-owned land register.
O’BRIEN: You have to look to people who are affected by these decisions. There is a strong anti-coal seam gas movement in Barker and a lot of worried people who must be listened to.
STACEY: Australia needs a strategic approach to foreign investment. We have a foreign investment register and need to make that data available for transparency on this issue. We should protect prime agricultural land from mining to preserve it for food and fibre production.
ZEPPEL: Family First supports family-owned farms, and farmers must be allowed to own all the land beneath them and not just the surface, to have power to decide what happens on their land.
KEOUGH: There should be no new coal seam gas or shale-style exploration and mining in SA and greater scrutiny of mining. A priority is the introduction of legislation that recognises mining is incompatible with other land uses and needs to be rigorously assessed before being approved. There must also be greater scrutiny of foreign investment.
