Animal activists are revelling in the pain of our farmers while The Nationals fight to protect them.
Federal Nationals Member for Lyne Dr David Gillespie has called for a temporary 10-cent-a-litre milk levy to support the dairy industry, which is under pressure from the major supermarkets’ $1-a-litre milk price and the ongoing drought. Many dairy farmers are having to sell their milk at or below cost, putting the future of this once-thriving industry at risk of permanent closure.
Dr Gillespie said the major supermarket chains, processors and dairy farmer groups should implement the temporary levy, otherwise he will move to introduce a Private Member’s Bill to take immediate action.
“Dairy farmers can no longer wait,” he said. “If we don’t have a supply framework that delivers certainty, then many farmers will continue to leave the industry and we won’t have a dairy industry.”
With the dairy industry also facing threats from highly-organised animal activists and the ‘Aussie Farms’ online map, the NSW Nationals have committed to establishing an Agriculture Commissioner to protect the Right To Farm and defend farmers from multiple threats. With an increasing hostility towards farmers, especially from the major cities, The Nationals once again stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our people and will deliver real reform that achieves real results.
But despite the hard work of the Nationals in Government at both a State and Federal level to protect the dairy industry, activists continue to make a mockery of the reforms saying farmers can “just get another job” if they’re sent to the wall.
This is the mentality driving Labor and the Greens as we approach two elections. Only The Nationals will protect our farmers and their communities.
