By RICK GLADIGAU, PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIAN DAIRY FARMERS
Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF) is working with the 47th Parliament to deliver on our policy priorities and advocacy targets, recognising that not every issue is central to the agriculture portfolio.
ADF is engaging with Ministerial portfolios for health, trade, infrastructure, transport, regional development, employment and the treasurer to ensure the big issues facing dairy farmers are addressed.
For example, ADF supports the “Let seniors work” proposal put forward by National Seniors Australia to remove or lift the age pension income test to incentivise more pensioners back to work.
The Labour Government holds a majority in the House of Representatives. However, in the Senate, no party holds a majority, so this chamber is also a focus for our advocacy work.
During the election campaign the ALP supported in whole or in principle the majority of ADF’s election policy statement released. Key priorities in this statement were:
- increasing trade diversification.
- imposing minimum nutritional standards in aged care;
- restoring truth in labelling;
- increased action on climate change;
- full implementation of the Murray Darling Basin Plan;
- developing a new strategy for animal welfare;
- resolving workforce shortages and skills deficits;
- supporting regional development; and
- improving biosecurity and farm digitalisation.
As an example of our work to resolve workforce shortages and skills deficits, ADF secured a Ministerial direction to have agriculture visa applications prioritised. As a result, we have obtained priority processing for ADF members who applied to the Department of Home Affairs for foreign workers under the Dairy Industry Labour Agreement (DILA). The benefit of being an ADF member has enabled these farmers to leapfrog other visa applications in the system.
We continue to advocate for the policies in the election statement and with input from ADF Policy Advisory Groups (PAGs) are setting policy priorities and advocacy targets for the next 12 months.
New policy groups get down to work
When the new Parliament was sitting in Canberra for the first time, our new PAGs were meeting in Melbourne. The PAGs are formal committees of ADF. The members on these committees come from every dairy region. They ensure that dairy farmers’ interests are represented at national and international levels.
The three new PAGs are named:
- Economics and Trade.
- People and Communities.
- Farm Operations.
The Farm Operations PAG covers topics such as climate change, animal welfare, biosecurity, the Murray Darling Basin Plan, the Dairy Moving Forward strategy and energy. Labour, health, education, occupational health and safety and regional development are covered by the People and Communities PAG. The Economics and Trade PAG covers trade, market access, competition reform, milk pricing, supply chain transparency, nutrition and labelling, and other financial policies.
The PAGs structure is closely aligned with the committee framework at the National Farmers Federation (NFF). ADF is a proud and long-time member of the NFF, and a key part of policy development at ADF is to send delegates and policy guidance into the NFF framework. The PAGs are supported by subject matter experts from ADF and Dairy Australia.
By rationalising our pre-election PAGs from five committees to three, each PAG will cover more topics and more effectively develop policy positions on issues critical to dairy farmers.
The next three years is a defining period for the sustainability of the Australian dairy industry. With the right policies, the 47th Parliament can ensure the sector sustains its contribution to the nation.