Robert Brokenshire, Family First (5AA 19.47-19.58) Power
cuts to parts of Fleurieu Peninsula due to high fire risk/ Australian Year of
the Farmer/ Future direction of the state Liberal party
(Reimer: Robert Brokenshire,
happy New Year.)
Happy New Year to
you too … I actually have my staff relax a bit over the Christmas New Year
break … I’ve actually been mainly doing farm work in amongst politics … I tend
to take a week or two off late January … good to get that week or two off just
before you start to plan for your sitting year really. So, happy to spend a bit of time with the
cows although they weren’t very happy, Andrew, with the hot weather and
yesterday was probably one of the worst days we’ve had for a long time but
fortunately no fire, so I’m pleased about that for South Australia.
(Reimer: Yeah well, good on everybody involved in
making sure it was safe. ETSA came under
a bit of fire because they cut out the power to various areas around Victor
Harbour but they did it for the right reasons as far as I can tell.)
Oh,
they did … part of that’s in my own area and I actually thought gee, I hope
they don’t turn our power off, because it’s hot enough as it was for the cows
and … there’s a lot of farmers down there that wouldn’t have been able to milk. But the counter argument to that is that if
it was so windy that we ended up having a fire, you wouldn’t have stopped
it. I said to my wife Mandy, I said, “look, this reminds me a fair bit of
Ash Wednesday potentially” … we were pretty fortunate as a State to get out of
yesterday in my opinion, Andrew.
(Reimer: Now you’re talking about the fact
that you’re a farmer … but 2012, a very special year for farmers this year
because of the Australian Year of the Farmer.)
Absolutely and I’m actually excited about
it. It’s the first time … as I
understand that we’ve ever had an Australian focus for a year on agriculture
and yet if you have a look at the House of Assembly carpet in the State
Parliament, over and above the fact that … the House of Assembly, all the Lower
House is a green colour, there are wine grapes and wheat sheafs on that carpet,
now that’s pretty special … the reason for that is that South Australia was
actually founded on agriculture and we’ve continued to grow agriculture. We’re 175 years as a State since we first
became a colony … just celebrated a few days ago and agriculture’s been first
and foremost through that time … for my own family it’s 171 years this year
since my mother’s family came from Scotland to farm here in South Australia. So, I’m looking forward to a year where we do
have some focus on agriculture … I believe parallel to mining and probably I’d
argue … even more so than mining, sustainability-wise, agriculture will see
very good opportunities given to South Australians in the future.
(Reimer: Mmm, it is wonderful that the focus is being put on it this year
but I would have thought it would have been a focus all the time, as opposed to
just this one particular year … let’s hope it gains some momentum and people
start … looking at buying more local products and supporting farmers and all
the rest of it here in Australia and South Australia … but to me it seems like
such a no-brainer, support your local business!)
Well absolutely and … I’d appeal to all South
Australians listening tonight and I do this regularly, to try and support first
and foremost South Australian product, and we’ve still got to do better there,
although in fairness there has been an estimate through the Government to
increase awareness of South Australian food produce and then … if you can’t get
South Australian, hopefully buy Australian, because there are lots and lots of
jobs… retail is a big part of the employment sector but value-added agriculture is
huge, just the dairy industry that I’m involved in, that is a $10b a year
industry in Australia, so you’re talking lots and lots of people employed if we
can continue to grow our own food … the other thing with this is that from a
point of view of food security, as the world gets hungrier I think it’s important
that we start to focus on Australia and what we can produce, because one; we’ve
got to protect our own sustainability with food supply but secondly; we need to
ensure that as we have to double food production over the next 40 years,
Andrew, that Australia and especially South Australia grows its manufacturing
sector, that’s my hope out of this, grows its manufacturing sector and agriculture to create more jobs and
export food across the world.
(Reimer:
Sounds like a nice dream, do you think it’s gonna become reality
though?)
Look, it could and there’s
no reason why it shouldn’t but I have to - after giving the Government an
accolade a few moments ago - throw a brickbat at the Government for not
understanding and focussing on sustainable agriculture and farming … there’d be
people tonight in some of the labour areas that’ll be on their tractors … or
their headers actually listening to you and they chase the bins, still reaping
… they know that they can produce a lot of food but we do get quite a lot of
dismay … when we see cuts to the Primary Industries Department, we see cuts to research
and development, we see the South Australian Research and Development Institute
having to look at an amalgamation with the Adelaide Uni just to survive, when
actually that has led the world on a lot of plant breeding and also farming
techniques … from that point of view I think a lot of it is up to the
Government … I’m prepared to give Jay Weatherill some … free board here … he has
brought regional development together with the Primary Industry portfolio but
the proof of the pudding will be at the end of this year and if we see him
starting to really focus on agriculture I’ll give him an accolade, but if he
doesn’t then I’ll be pushing him right through to the next election.
(Reimer:
Mmm, you’re talking about the fact that you’re going to be very proactive and
placing pressure on the Government, making sure they’re doing the right thing
when it comes to the farming community and other areas as well … I noticed the
Libs, the Opposition, they’re finally starting to talk about policies and we’ve
got a couple of years to go ‘til the election … but they’re starting to become
a little bit more vocal. You’ve worked …
as a Minister for the Liberals many years ago, you’ve worked in Opposition,
you’ve got a heck of a lot of political experience as well as experience on the
land, what are your thoughts about the future the Liberals need to take when it
comes to policy making in order to be elected if they are in fact elected come
the next State election?)
Yeah well
look, there’s two or three key things there … first and foremost we need to
remember that governments lose elections, Opposition’s don’t win
elections. So for a little while an
Opposition can wrap itself up in a … tight ball and be a small target, but as
people start to focus on government, particularly a government that’s got to be
tired when it’s been in for three terms and asking the voters to give them 16
years, it’s a long time. They want to
see what the real alternative is and this year the Liberal Party will have to
come out and make some broad policy announcements and start to give South
Australians an alternative appetite to what they could expect if Liberals were
to get into government. Now one example, Family First … will be bringing one
out dedicated to the Australian and particularly focused on the South
Australian Farmer of the Year and what we can do to grow agriculture. I would
hope the Liberal Party would do the same thing. But if Isobel Redmond and her
team
1) are not tight knit, and I trust they will be, so they’re a very
forceful Opposition, and
2) start to make these policy announcements this year
then they will find that voters will start to raise question marks about them.
So it’s a year where the Government have to perform very well … but the
Opposition need to show that they are a strong alternative force to take
government in 2014
(Reimer: You talk
about the fact they should be tightly knit in order to make headway and get
elected at the next election, but you look at the past, the animosity perhaps
between Vickie Chapman and Isobel Redmond, do you foresee another leadership
challenge from Vickie Chapman at some stage before the next election?)
…
one of the Achilles heel of the Liberal Party for a long time, and I
appreciated the time I had in the Liberal Party and hopefully I put a lot of
effort back for the Liberal Party, but leadership spills and those sorts of
nonsense games they cost and it cost the Liberal Party before. They need to
understand that. As the Labor Government keeps saying, the worst day in
Government is much better than the best day in Opposition and I think it’s time
the Opposition realised that and stopped worrying about the spoils of the
fruits if you get there and how you divvy them up, but rather stick to Isobel
Redmond. I think she’s the best alternative. She’s been pretty credible and
strong and my advice to the Liberal Party would be be grateful for what you’ve
got, remember first and foremost … you’re elected to serve the community, so
forget about challenges … focus on providing good Opposition to the Government
so South Australians get the best opportunities that we need. And we certainly
need them at the moment because it’s not easy out there as you know
(Reimer: … I know we’ll be hearing a lot
more from Family First over the coming 12 months …)
… and have a safe and a
very good, healthy and economically strong family new year and I hope that
South Australians generally can have that too
(Reimer: … thanks for your time …)
~
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