LABOR Shadow Agriculture Minister Joel Fitzgibbon has denied his party has done any deal with the Animal Justice Party that would expand plant-based food production at the expense of livestock production.
As reported by Fairfax Agricultural Media, the AJP has claimed to have held talks with Labor President and Shadow Environment Minister Mark Butler and is running 54 upeer and lower house candidates at the weekend’s federal election.
In a statement, AJP President Professor Steve Garlick said “following discussion with us, the ALP in government has agreed to develop and expand initiatives which can maximise plant-based food production and expand these agricultural markets”.
“This is an alternative to an industry which presently involves cruel and unnecessary trafficking in live farm animals to far away countries inflicting immense suffering on Australian bred animals during the journey and frequently at the destination country,” Professor Garlick said.
“Our belief is that in the future, investment in the live trade industry will cease in favour of investment in a diverse, organic, non-lethal agriculture industry where the returns, the jobs and other benefits for us all will be greater.”
But Mr Fitzgibbon told 2GB Rural News the issue of a reported deal between the two parties was “just a silly beat up”.
“Of course the Labor party is absolutely dedicated to our red meat sector; it’s the backbone of our agricultural sector,” he said.
“Just because we’re interested in further diversifying our agricultural product it doesn’t mean we’re doing it at the expense of other products.
“It’s just a silly thing.
“Asia is going to be very hungry (and) there will be heavy demand for beef but there will also be heavy demand for other commodities and other products and we want to make sure Australia is well placed to provide any and all of those.”
Mr Fitzgibbon said any suggestion the Labor deal with the AJP would impact the nation’s livestock industry was “a silly one”.
He said it demonstrated that the National Party was “desperate” and particularly in leader Barnaby Joyce’s New England electorate where’s he’s under threat of losing, at the weekend’s election, to former independent MP Tony Windsor.
Asked why farm voters should back the ALP, Mr Fitzgibbon said from agricultural perspective his party had a plan that would “rejuvenate” rural areas and communities by investing in people, infrastructure, Research and Development and productivity.
“We have a plan to take agriculture on a high value road where it’s not just hostage to commodity prices,” he said.
“That’s where agriculture needs to be and that’s going to be a great thing for our regional communities.”
Queensland LNP Senator Matthew Canavan expressed dismay at the ALP working with an animal rights political movement the AJP which had policies ultimately seeking an end to livestock farming.
“It just shows how far the ALP has come from their working class base,” he said.
Other ALP sources declined to comment on the AJP deal involving Mr Butler until post-election while Professor Garlick was contacted but did not respond by deadline.
During his leaders’ address at the National Press Club in Canberra, ahead of releasing the Coalition’s $260m agricultural policy last week, Mr Joyce said any undecided voters in assessing various farm credentials “can judge us by our form”.
The Agriculture and Water Resources Minister said voters can judge the Coalition on record cattle, sheep meat, pork, chick-pea and almond prices.
“If you look at the price of land - it is going up,” he said.
“If you look at the infrastructure we are delivering, they say we are building it.”
On the ALP potentially returning to government and regaining the agriculture portfolio, Mr Joyce said a cost saving was found under the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd Labor/Green/Independent alliance in agriculture.
“When we got the Department back, it lost more than half of its funding,” he said.
But Mr Joyce said the Coalition had moved water policy into agriculture and continued to build up the Department’s resources, “Because we truly believe that this is a pillar of our nation”.
“If you are walking down Martin Place, you are a farmer, whether you like it or not,” he said.
“If you are walking down Collins Street, you are a farmer whether you like it or not.
“If you are walking down Queen Street Mall you are a farmer because our nation relies on the income stream that comes from that.
“It is the mechanism which gives us a buffer to deal with the down turn in the mining industry.
“The Labor Party will do exactly what they did last time – they will decimate it.”
Mr Joyce also took a swipe at independent MPs compared to those aligned to political parties.
“If a person who is not aligned with anybody is the right answer for your electorate, then surely that must be the right answer for every electorate,” he said.
“So, now let's envisage a world with 150 Independents.
“What we have then is total and utter chaos - that’s the end of Australia - the Commonwealth will collapse.
“They play from the edges and because they play from the edges, they claim credit for virtually everything but not responsible for anything.
“It is not courageous to scream from the coffee shop.
“It is courageous to get to as close to the centre of the table as possible and in the heat and fury of the discussions that go on within any political party, to negotiate your way for what is better for your people, knowing full well that the outcome of your discussions is delivery.”