Territory FM - Cattle drama's continue
DARYL MANZIE:
We’ve seen a disgraceful display of ineptitude a federal minister over the last couple of weeks. I’m talking about Joe Ludwig, our Agricultural Minister, the man responsible for our cattle exports and there’s a letter in the paper today from a lady in New South Wales, Sherry Stum, and she goes on saying she’s outraged that “industry members call people like me Southern latte-sippers”, and they’re furious Senator Xenophon wants to ban the live export of animals over the next, over 3 years. Then she has a series of questioNIGEL SCULLION: Did our cattlemen check to see how their cattle were handled? Did they think the treatment they might be receiving was bad? Did they check to see if there were stun guns? All this sort of stuff, and it finishes saying how about looking for solutions instead of preparing to return to business as usual. And that sort of simplistic argument is one that obviously runs lines off guys like Minister Joe Ludwig. They’re ignorant. They’ve got no idea what they’re talking about. They become advocates of, you know, of doing thousands out of a livelihood and of course [inaudible] will go on, because there’s nothing done to stop it. There were places that did the right thing, and in fact there was even an instance of it being shown on the Four Corners brief, as it was. But people don’t know the truth and it’s guys like Joe Ludwig who have a responsibility to go beyond the sort of rhetoric that you get from some of the groups around the place. He’s had a responsibility to look after the Australian industry and to deal with the facts. What’s his latest little bit? He’s going to give all the cattlemen the dole for thirteen weeks. I mean, what does he think, they live under bow sheds? A man who’s pretty concerned about this is Senator Nigel Scullion. He’s joined us to comment on the latest bit of brilliance from this Federal Minister. How are you there Nige?
NIGEL SCULLION:
Well I’ve had better days. In fact I can’t remember such a deeply disturbing series of processes since I’ve been in Parliament. We’re now looking down the barrel of an evolution of the largest social and economic crisis of which the like I don’t think anyone will see. Unless this is diverted simply by leadership, and by by some direct and clear action that is going to be able to resolve this. This is just going to get worse and worse
DARYL MANZIE:
Well the first thing is, mate, is the licences for exports to Indonesia have been issued and there’s none due until October. And the only way that’s going to be changed is if someone like Kevin Rudd gets over there, on a mad diplomatic scramble to try and unscramble the dreadful process that’s been used in doing this – in a diplomatic sense. But he can’t do that because there’s nothing to sell because the Federal Government through Joe Ludwig, well last weekend he was sending out press releases about mice plagues and things like this. He just dropped off his agenda, and when he did speak his knowledge was just absolutely abysmal.
NIGEL SCULLION:
And they just don’t seem to get the connection. This isn’t just about the cattle industry. This is about business, enterprise, the social and economic fabric of Northern Australia. There is nobody in North Australia that won’t be impacted by this and anybody who keeps their finger on the pulse of the business in Darwin and in the Northern Territory will know that we’re going through a bit of a downward turn at the moment. It’s just getting a bit tighter right across the board, and it’s at the worst possible time. In terms of those businesses that rely on the cattle industry, and some people do 90% of their business in four months of the year, they’re all directly affected with one of the largest employers in the Northern Territory. And of course to suddenly say out of the blue, just “you’re all out of a job”. But not only just to say “oh by the way, you’re all out of a job” and you know it’s your problem. It’s okay, the Federal Government cares about you and you can go on the dole. Oh, terrific!
DARYL MANZIE:
That’s unbelievable, isn’t it?
NIGEL SCULLION:
Well that is just an absolute slap in the face for families, communities, and individuals working not only directly in this industry but indirectly in this industry. I have to say that this now not only about the cattle, I mean, there’s not a doubt in my mind that the diplomatic side of this was handled in such a bad way. Australia is a signatory to the G20; so is Indonesia. And we specify in G20 about relationships with our neighbours and about sanctions. This is a sanction. See trade, there is a process to go down that is beyond a phone call a couple of hours before you do it. They feel, and I say rightly so, completely offended by the way Australia has dealt with this so it’s not only about restarting the trade, we need to do more than that. And I think perhaps it was Kevin last week, there was no doubt about it that I agree with Tony Abbott that we now need to go a bipartisan, the two leaders of Australia, Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott need to go immediately to Indonesia and they need to show some contrition about the behaviour of the Government and they need to work immediately so both countries are working absolutely solidly on ensuring that trade can recommence when Australia can guarantee that we are meeting the International Standards. Now it’s going to be a lot easier to achieve that if a working relationship exists, a much better working relationship exists in this area between Australia and Indonesia. It certainly doesn’t at the moment and I’m sadly, and it doesn’t really mean much, because we’re all in the situation. But that is absolutely [inaudible] to again the complete bungling of this Government.
DARYL MANZIE:
Well that’s appalling. I mean, I’ve never seen anything like this happen. It’s really unbelievable. I mean and this dole thing, it’s just to rub salt into the wounds. Just to fill up a road train with a tank of fuel … $3,000.
NIGEL SCULLION:
They do around about a kilometre to a litre. Just under a kilometre to the litre.
DARYL MANZIE:
Yeah, it’s just ridiculous.
NIGEL SCULLION:
This is very tough going for an industry that is a developing industry and has a great deal of opportunity for those people who live in North Australia who don’t get access to the economic opportunities that others do, and particularly Aboriginal people who own land.
DARYL MANZIE:
Well fifty-three cattle stations owned by Indigenous people.
NIGEL SCULLION:
They’re starting off, fifty-three cattle stations are not all, those cattle stations, but there are starting off and they’re taking cows and they’re building infrastructure.
DARYL MANZIE:
Yep, breeding programs.
NIGEL SCULLION:
Where does the confidence come from: to build infrastructure, to make investments in land, to put in the sort of infrastructure that’s needed?
DARYL MANZIE:
Well the banks are –
NIGEL SCULLION:
Now the Government’s going to pull the bank out from under them.
DARYL MANZIE:
The banks are going to be really happy about this one. I mean how do you start your finances going again when your bank sort of, because they don’t care. They just say “you’re not paying the bills”. And anyway, Nigel, I don’t think, I think this is beyond repair. I just think this is appalling. I can’t see any urgency by anyone in Government about what’s happening here and Joe Ludwig, they need to get rid of him straight away. He is just an embarrassment, and watch him on television, it’s just horrifying. And to think this is the guy who’s responsible for the livelihood of thousands of people. But the bottom line with this: the cruelty continues! The stuff they saw on Four Corners continues. Because we’re no longer in the loop and those [inaudible] by the abattoirs that were doing the right thing and showing how it’s done. They’re being penalised too. Well people look and say what’s the use of spending the money on upgrading and using stun guns? It doesn’t help. I’m sorry, I’m ranting a bit but thanks for the call.
NIGEL SCULLION:
Can I just when you say, “you don’t know if it’s repairable”, well look I’m not only the world’s greatest optimist mate, but it’s my job to make sure this happens. And I can assure you we – industry and as a Territorians – must not sit back for a day. We have to continue to maintain the tempo and call on the Prime Minister to fix this. This is well beyond politics. I know that I’m very proud as a Territorian to see Paul Henderson and Terry Mills holding hands on this matter. It rarely happens, but that’s a –
DARYL MANZIE:
Yeah, I did too. I thought both of them did a great job.
NIGEL SCULLION:
Yeah, that’s emblematic of just how important this is to the Northern Territory. I know that Western Australia have a joint view on this and Queensland, I’m hoping they come out. And this can be a real test of Federalism, you know, we don’t grow cows in the Commonwealth, we do it right across the board, and it’s this decision that’s had an impact on it. We need to get over to Indonesia immediately with some contrition and do whatever is necessary to return both the relationship and industry. I’m sure we can do it, we’re Australians, we can do anything.
DARYL MANZIE:
It can be done if the will’s there.
NIGEL SCULLION:
We don’t have the time mate.
DARYL MANZIE:
If the will’s there it can be done. I can’t see the will yet, and I guess there’s going to need a lot of pressure to turn that around, Nige.
NIGEL SCULLION:
Well mate it makes you feel pretty bloody sad when the only real response from the Federal Government is “oh, by the way, you can all go on the dole”. Well, thanks for nothing.
DARYL MANZIE:
Exactly. Well thanks mate, thanks for the call.
NIGEL SCULLION:
You have a good day Daryl.
NIGEL SCULLION:
Keep up the good work.
DARYL MANZIE:
Nigel Scullion there, the Senator. And as he said, the move that we’ve seen, the bipartisan move here between both the Labor Government and the CLP Opposition has been just, I guess a shining example of how it should go.
ENDS.
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