Morgan Knoesen, Wurruk
LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
IF it’s true what was said in parliament recently about the National Party, how could anyone vote for them when they have betrayed our dairy farmers on such a grand scale?
Recently Bob Katter addressed parliament and stated:
“Today I spoke on Labor’s motion regarding the government’s treatment of dairy farmers over the milk price wars, I then moved a motion myself condemning the Nationals for deregulating the dairy industry.
“I raised a few prominent facts — it was the National Party which deregulated the dairy industry taking the farmers income from 59 cents a litre down to 41 cents a litre.
“At the announcement of deregulation there were over 230 dairy farms on the Atherton Tablelands, now there are 51.
“Neither the ALP or LNP will introduce arbitration for farmers.
“For supply and demand in the free market to work there must be an unlimited number of sellers and buyers.
“Dairy farmers in North Queensland have only one processor to sell to and in the whole of Australia effectively only two buyers of milk — the supermarket duopoly.
“This therefore condemns both sides of politics in creating misery and heartache where dairy farmers are the victims of the free market ‘fundamentalists’ in this house.”
