Following is a quote from Jim Rogers:

“ ‘Power is shifting now from the money shifters, the guys who trade paper and money, to people who produce real goods. What you should do is become a farmer, or start a farming network’.” End quote.

We need to protect our farming industry from any potential problems from overseas and this includes imports that are not needed.Everything is going to change dramatically over the next 2 decades and as a nation we need to be self sufficient when it comes down to it. We need less welfare not more as welfare just leads to lower production from a mindset of "why should we work when we sit here getting paid." Less handouts not more. As for the first homebuyers grants....they should be dropped on June 30th and should never have been started. Everyone needs to stop living beyond their means and work their way through life. Until we stop being a massive consumer and debt burdened nation we will not improve affordability and will have to keep spending our future generations money to give to people who don't deserve it. I also believe that the homebuyers grants are actually part of the cause for housing unaffordability by artificially inflating the lower price bracket in housing which in turn pushes the next bracket higher and so on. So by dropping the grants we should see real pricing return to the market and investors return to pick up the slack as they are sitting on the side lines.

Regards....Wayne Rhea

Wow - talk about scare mongering, foreign diseased fruit "pushing our farmers off their land".

Australia has some of the strictest quarantine and customs laws in the world.
If farmers can't compete with price/quality why should we be bullied into buying their product. if the product is better and the price is right then of course we will buy Australian. Foreign farmers need to make a living to. Strange that your protectionism doesn't extend to other industries that fall out of your electorates.

Ed

There's a fantastic way of seeing if Australians believe it important to protect Australian agricultural business from Phillipino agricultural business.

Allow the imports, under strict quarantine, and label all bananas clearly on their country of origin. Even fund a promotional campaign or two on the virtues of Australian grown bananas over the imports. The Government would have a role transitioning the farmers into other crops or employment if required.

The Coalition have been enthusiastic about opening up other markets to international competition over the years, why the change now?

Vested interests.

What is the governmant's agenda in destroying our countirie's agriculture? importing fresh foods that have always been grown here. I would have to conclude that those making such decisions have hidden plans to ruin any self sufficiency we have left, destroy our farmers lives and incomes and put our health in jepardy with imported goods produced under who knows what conditions, it is an utter disgrace. Other countries subsidise their farmers in order to protect them and keep them compedative, We have also almost lost all our manufacturing industries, what will we have left that belongs to Australians soon? beauroctrats ! banks ! polititions and an ever growing Centrelink department !

What is the government's agenda in destroying our country's agriculture? importing fresh foods that have always been grown here. I would have to conclude that those making such decisions have hidden plans to ruin any self sufficiency we have left, destroy our farmers lives and incomes and put our health in jepardy with imported goods produced under who knows what conditions, it is an utter disgrace. Other countries subsidise their farmers in order to protect them and keep them compedative, We have also almost lost all our manufacturing industries, what will we have left that belongs to Australians soon? beauroctrats ! banks ! polititions and an ever growing Centrelink department !

Barnaby Joyce should be the PM of Australia. He doesn't live in a parallel universe, he has his feet firmly on the ground and is a man of the people.

The Australian farmer does need protection as we are surrounded by dirt poor third world nations with much lower wages, lower work conditions and also lower standards of living. If we remove protection for the agricultural industry we wil lose billions of dollars in production and render parts of rural Australia to perpetual welfare entitlements.

Liberal and Labor removed protection for manufacturing and it is now on its knees. In the early 70's over 28% of Australia's workforce was involved in manufacturing, the figure has dropped to 8.5% of the workforce. By signing the Lima Declaration we have given third world manufacturers access to our markets yet they have not been reciprocated causing a massive defiicit in manufactured goods. This puts pressure on the balance of trade and interest rates. Every time we spend money we are stimulating other economies to the detriment of our own.

To those fools who hold on to an infantile argument regarding trade access for foreigners I say this, 'Do you want to pass on a lower standard of living to your children?'. This is what is happening due to the negative effects of globalisation. This is not progress but regress.

When they look in your eyes and say, "Why did you let this happen?"

Wake up Australia!

Think that last comment came from a Philipino banana grower! I think the best response to the import of bananas from the Philipines is to not buy them. A new campaign to BUY AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTS is long overdue. If we want to preserve the good life we enjoy in this country, Australians need to be loyal to Australian made products.

Good on ya Barnaby for educating the Australian people to open their ears and listen. The days are gone when we use say... She'll be right mate.....Things are not okay and our kids are in danger. As Australian people we have to get up and do something now. Therefore I will print out your blog hand it out and I will copy the UNs anti western treaty that is putting Western nations into a financial jeopardy. I hope Ozzies realize with all the wests foreign aid that thrid world countrys are getting we are falling to their level because of their cultures past mistakes and jeolousy. We have giving foreign aid for 50 years and most of these countries still have not got a tax system established or put up the a marriage age from 10 to 21. That means they are still over populating. Why is that too hard? What annoys me with all this giving they still hate us. The UN still makes us pay China foreign aid and they are buying our farms and minesites with the cash. Not bad for nothing. Therefore us Ozzies have to get of our BUTT and do something so we will get a new govt to amend the massive amount of damage that has occurred. One thing that Aussies can do now is for tradies to teach your sons and daughters your skills in your backyard so we do not loose our talents. Then with hope we can bring some jobs back for our children.