JOEL FITZGIBBON MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE

MEMBER FOR HUNTER

MEDIA RELEASE

A BUDGET OF DISAPPOINTMENTS FOR FARMING COMMUNITIES
This is a budget of disappointments for our farming communities, and sets out no
vision to build sustainable and competitive agriculture industries.
The Budget reduces Landcare funding, exacerbating the effects of the Governments
determination to ignore the greatest challenge facing agriculture natural resource
sustainability. Meanwhile it provides no clarity on its Green Army program and how it
will work with Landcare.
It hinders Australias realisation of the opportunities of emerging markets by cutting
the development of an Australian Brand for Food Program. And it includes a 4 per
cent reduction in Departmental staffing which will hardly improve either policy
development or service delivery, together with the abolition of the National Water
Commission.
While increased funding for research is welcome, this Budget also cuts important
research underway by Rural Industries Research and Development Corporations
which fosters sustainable, productive and profitable rural industries
The Budget hits the purchasing power of farming families and rural communities.
The reduction in purchasing power will be more acute for rural families and
pensioners in rural communities who face the combination of payment reductions
and higher increased costs.
Tony Abbotts fuel taxes will hit harder because rural people tend to drive greater
distances and fuel costs are embedded in the goods they buy.
The GP tax will hurt rural communities which already struggle to secure bulk-billing
services.
Barnaby Joyce said he wanted to increase farm-gate profitability but the only profit
in this Budget is for the Government and it comes at the expense of farming
communities.

WEDNESDAY, 14 MAY 2014

MEDIA CONTACT: NATASA SIKMAN 0467 550 065