Election policies a good start – but need refinement

AT QFF, we are not concerned with who the bookies favour to win the election on Saturday.
Our concern is that whichever party wins government that they have policies that will promote and enhance sustainable agriculture in Queensland and Australia.
This week, we have been critically examining the rural policies announced during the campaign and, disappointingly, there is much in the way of political slogans and headlines, but it appears not much depth when it comes to tangible policies.
For example, Labor’s policy of this week on Northern Australia sounds positive about building development in the north, but the policy itself consists of numerous focus groups, forums, and further studies.
The north has already been subject to exhaustive studies and the public is tiring of procrastination on challenging (but very promising) development opportunities.
Examining the broader policies, the closest that both sides of politics could get to a solid agricultural platform would be to amalgamate the highlights from both sides.
This is particularly the case with food security policies announced in the third week of the campaign.
The ALP announced that it would work with stakeholders to look at the entire value chain to deliver food security in this country. The Coalition’s policy focused on increased funding for research and development, grants for scientists, and a green tape audit.
Combining these two policies would recognise the need for greater R&D funding and also for protecting our farm land and food supply. Given that Australia produces enough food for roughly 60 million people, this issue is about creating a sustainable food and agricultural policy, far more than it is about food security.
On climate change, the ALP has announced that it would open up the carbon market for farmers, yet we don’t know what its plans are for a carbon pollution reduction scheme.
The Coalition’s Direct Action Plan has promised an incentive-based scheme for farmers, as well as vowing that there would be no additional indirect costs to energy and energy related farm inputs.
Increasingly, both parties are realising that farmers will be an important part of the solution to reducing carbon pollution. Both sides have a long road ahead of them facilitating this process.
On the Murray Darling Basin, both major parties will meet the gap of water reductions through purchase from willing sellers and said they will fix the evaporation problems at the Menindee Lakes.
The Coalition has gone a step further by vowing to investigate the socioeconomic impact of the Basin Plan and devoting more funds to communities and infrastructure. The Judith Stubbs report gives us a clear message about the socioeconomic impacts in the Queensland part of the MDB.
However, with the guide to the Basin Plan still under lock and key, it is difficult to comment in detail on these policies until we see further data.
Beyond these policies, there is the Greens.
For farmers, the Greens have also been very vocal about coal seam gas on the Darling Downs and are calling for a moratorium.
While that moratorium would resonate with agriculture in the region, it is worth remembering that CSG is not the only issue that Queensland farmers will face in the next three years.
The Greens want to ban genetically modified crops and were partly responsible for heavy-handed Reef regulations we have in Queensland. They also propose what appears to be an unrealistic target of a 40 percent reduction in 1990-level carbon emissions by 2020.
There is still a large gap between the Greens’ emissions cuts target and what its policies can deliver.
So while they have some policies that are sensible, they have others that if implemented would have a negative impact on the agricultural sector.
It is worth considering where the Greens would stand on water reform, vegetation management, intensive livestock, the Great Barrier Reef, and even the development of new farms and industries.
Ultimately, for rural voters, all these issues will be on their minds on Saturday.
With the major parties, both sides have put forward some positive proposals during this election campaign. Both have also put forward some policies that need refinement and detail.
Whichever party wins the election, QFF will work to ensure they hear a clear message from the Queensland agricultural sector about the policies we need to be profitable and sustainable.