Nationals’ Senator Barnaby Joyce said today "Labor has decided one of its first messages will be to stick the slipper into those who are already on their knees.
“Although it has rained, it doesn’t rain dollars or wheat crops and cows don’t give birth to 400kg feed-on steers for sale.
“It is either a complete lack of understanding of the economics and dynamics of how our rural production works in the family based farm sector or it’s a statement of malicious intent to dig the slipper into those who may not have supported you at the election.
"This gives the impression the Labor Government isn’t a government for everybody, they are a government for certain people in certain areas.
“Let’s look at some of the practicalities of some of the decisions proposed: the $150 000 exceptional circumstances exit grant was supposed to be exempt from bankruptcy proceedings. The reason for this is it is the only money those who have suffered through the greatest drought of all time would take away if they exited. Now, Labor wants to make it non-exempt and, of course, the banks will take it away and the farming family will be left with nothing.
“The Labor Government is also going to cut advertising packages so those who need help will not know how to find it.
“The Croc Festival: I don’t think the Croc Festival will sink the nation's budget given the Government spends approximately $700 million a day. But, it was a great mechanism in assisting indigenous communities, especially in the north, to come together to share their culture in a drug and alcohol free environment.
“Mr Rudd will next week apologise to the stolen generation yet has the arrogance to cut funding to this important program for indigenous children. This is a prime example of the paradox of rhetoric the Labor party is.
“Other cuts to programs, including the Apprenticeship Incentives for Agriculture and Horticulture programme and the previous Government's extension of the Living Away from Home Allowance to Australian School-based Apprentices, are obviously Mr Rudd’s approach to dealing with the skills shortage, a further indication that Mr Rudd can’t take his own advice on how to deal with inflationary pressures and productivity.
“Mr Rudd should be turning his inflation crosshairs away from farmers, apprentices and indigenous children and aiming them at the things in life which do impact on inflation, such as rising petrol and grocery prices. Mr Rudd has no real problems with the overcentralisation of the supermarkets and the oil companies. Maybe their teeth are too sharp for him.”