Agmates

1. ABA calls on Government to “fix” policy that it says are destroying Agriculture in Australia
2. Overhaul AQIS to protect Australian Primary Industry
3. Producer referendums to decide the fate of producer paid levies.
4. National Inquiry into the Meat Industry
5. Scrapping of NLIS (National Livestock Identification System
6. Scrap US Free Trade Agreement
7. Removal of State Native Vegetation Acts
8. Farmers rights to trade Carbon Credits

We want some action now on policies that are destroying Australian Agriculture.

1. Bio Security Australia to be taken away from Trade influence and their charter altered so that their only purpose is to protect Australia’s primary industries from introduced disease.
   Australia’s farm sector is being systematically destroyed by allowing in product from countries with few hygiene rules, subsidies or very low wages.
2. Referendums to be conducted in each primary production sector to decide if producers wish to continue to pay Government regulated levies and, if so, at what level?
   There has never been a referendum for the meat industry levy despite it being Liberal Party policy for a referendum before any levy is put in place.
3. A full judicial inquiry be conducted into the undemocratic Meat Industry structure that is presently funded by compulsory regulated levies on producers in a form of compulsory unionism.
   The Senate Select Committee of 2002 recommended 6 changes to make the structure more democratic–none was adopted by the Minister.
4. The current, farcical charade that is the National Livestock Identification System for cattle to be disbanded and replaced by an inexpensive, practical system as was previously in place.
   The system is not working and will never work –as has been illustrated in UK. However the expense will cripple the beef industry .No Minister has had the courage to face up to this massive mistake.
5. Termination of the US Free Trade Agreement.
   The introduction of this agreement has already seen a massive increase in the imbalanced trade figures between USA and Australia. There are no positives for beef producers as we have been unable to fill the US quota for some years and the flood of cheap pork from North America affects beef prices here in Australia. Anyone reading” How to Kill a Country” or “National Insecurity” by three University Professors will see how seriously the agreement affects many Australian industries at a time when they were already under great pressure. .Either side has the right to terminate the agreement at 6 months notice.
6. ABA endorses the drive for the full restoration of Property Rights including the removal of the Native Vegetation Act and the cumulative weight of other land use restrictions.
   If the current legislation in Australia was to be fully enforced primary production would drop even faster.
7. If Carbon credit trading is to be introduced landholders must be entitled to payments.
   Carbon dioxide accounts for a tiny percentage of greenhouse omissions and Carbon Credit trading has already been shown to be a fraudulent transfer of money to multinationals in Europe. However, if it is to be introduced in Australia, landholders must receive their entitlements.

“Australia is now importing over 30% of its food and this is increasing. Prices to consumers are rising, whilst prices to many producers are falling. It is time for Government to re-assess the long term policies that have destroyed Australia’s self sufficiency in food and manufactured goods and taken our national debt to over $540 billion”, Mr. Bellinger concluded.