Coming from a person who was a Policy advisor to Bob Hawke, I find this rather bizarre. Bizarre because Craig Emerson has a Phd in economics yet he was party to a party that took us to 17.25% interest rates in 1990 under a Labor Govt. Great economics that is.
I wonder now how Craig Emerson can possibly state:
"A 140 per cent boost to agricultural production was achievable."
Is he saying that our Farmers are under producing by 140% or that they can quite clearly operate more efficiently to produce 140% better results. Begs the question.
Got one question for ya Mr Emerson. You may have be born in Baradine, NSW a small country town, but you sure as hell lost your grass roots aye.
Craig Emerson also believes that with foreign investment:
"We can do it in a sensible way, it doesn't mean buying up the farm but it sure does mean doing what we can to reduce the vulnerability of Australian Agriculture to drought."
Sooo Mr Emerson, are you actually saying we can sell chunks of farmland off and the Chinese or whomever will parade around our regional farmlands doing a splashdance for rain to reduce our vulnerability to drought? Last I heard or saw was drought was created by lack of rain.
Also:
There had been a 0.2 per increase in the level of foreign ownership since 1984, Dr Emerson said.
Hate to correct you Mr Emerson. That may be very well the case Australia wide I'm not sure. I don't have the inclination to go searching for that figure.
What I can say is that a Chinese Govt controlled Mining entity has despatched $213 million bux buying 43 properties around Gunnedah during 209/2010 for the proposed purpose of Mining for coal.
So what you are really saying Mr Emerson is: Yup, lets do trade deals, lets sell our farmland and let any Tom Dick or Harry rip up the ground with huge mining gear, rape our great farming land and turn them into coal bowls as against what they actually were and that was food bowls!
When the Eastern States of Australia can barely produce enough wheat for its own domestic consumption why is it that we have to become this BIG AUSTRALIA? Why are you, Mr Emerson, so intent of endeavouring to secure foreign investment and or purchase of our Agriculture sectors?
Question I have is what exactly does this do for Australia's Agriculture?
My endeavour is to see the Gap between Country and City reduced but I find it rather difficult to embrace it when people want to bury their heads in the sand over such an important issue. We are a food bowl for our nation, just barely. We will be running the gauntlet in what appears to be a crusade to share the expertise, farming knowledge and prime agriculture land in a sell off ?
I don't care what Political Party you represent Mr Emerson but if you think this is a representation of the Farming communities of Australia and its great people then perhaps you need to upstakes from your airconditioned office in Canberra, pull ya workboots on (if you have any) and walk out of your electorate in Rankin Qld. Toddle off over the escarpment and go and talk to some people in Regional Australia. By that I mean the whole of Australia not just the Eastern seaboard !
C'mon Craig Emerson, for the good of every Australian think twice, take a step back and have a "Mothers Look" at the situation and the concepts you are so intent on pursuing ! Or are you a hypocrite and just trying to pull votes yourself ?
Sources: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8437071/nats-risk-agricultures-future-emerson
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/chinese-mine-giant-snaps-up-43-nsw-farms/story-e6frg6nf-1226082387428
http://www.aec.gov.au/profiles/qld/files/2009/2009-aec-a4-map-qld-rankin-v2.pdf
Cheers
Bushy
