LABOR KILLING AGRICULTURAL CONFIDENCE
06-September-2011
A massive slump in confidence amongst Victorian Farmers proves the Gillard Government has lost control of the economy and shows why Australia needs a fresh election.
A Rural Confidence Survey conducted by Rabobank released on Monday shows farmers have registered a large decline in confidence, attributable to Labor’s Carbon Tax and Live export ban.
Federal Member for Indi, Sophie Mirabella MP said that during a time when farmers should be filled with optimism, their outlook is incredibly bleak.
“We’ve had good winter rains, the dams are full, water allocations are up and yield prospects are looking better than they have for many years. This report shows that Labor is crushing confidence in the agricultural sector and doing real damage to our local economy. Usually, the results of these reports are a reflection of seasonal factors, but as the report notes, the decline is due to “external factors outside the farm gate”.
“The figures are startling because the huge drop in confidence has occurred over such a short period of time.
“It’s not just the Carbon Tax and the Live Animal Export disaster; it’s also the complete and utter confusion over the Murray Darling Basin Plan, the decision to open our borders to potentially disease ridden fruit and a general feeling of policy chaos.
“Farmers are very adept at managing risk; it’s what they do every day. But it’s impossible to anticipate what this government is going to do next. The biggest risk facing farmers at the moment is the Gillard Government, and this report proves that.
“A lack of confidence in the agricultural sector will spell real trouble for the North East economy, which relies heavily on agricultural investment. If confidence is down, investment will plummet and it won’t just be farmers that suffer. There are many businesses in the North East region that rely heavily a strong agricultural sector.
Mrs Mirabella said that the best thing the Government could do to restore confidence in the agricultural sector would be to call an election.
“Farmers want a return to certainty. They want a stable Government that they can trust and they want an end to this chaotic policy making,” Mrs Mirabella concluded.