Senators are now debating whether to establish a Regional Investment Corporation to administer farming loans and grants for water projects.
Show this thread
-
-
Nationals senator Wacka Williams says the agency is exactly what the regions are crying out for.
Show this thread -
Labor's Murray Watt has described the proposed agency as a white elephant and exercise in pork barrelling which will deliver false hope.
Show this thread -
Watt: "It is nothing more than pork to be followed by poverty, which is exactly what the National Party has become famous for."
Show this thread -
Watt says it's no coincidence the proposed agency would be based in Orange, which the NSW Nationals lost in a damaging byelection last year.
Show this thread -
Senator David Lleyenholm also comes out swinging against the Regional Investment Corporation, arguing "bleaters" should be left to go broke.
Show this thread -
Lleyenholm: "I love Australian agriculture, and that is why I condemn this bill."
Show this thread -
Nationals senator Barry O'Sullivan rejects idea some farmers are whingers looking for government handouts, saying they're very proud people.
Show this thread -
O'Sullivan: the agency isn't getting new funds, but bringing existing funds under the one commonwealth roof to make it easier to administer.
Show this thread -
"I reject absolutely any sort of blanket assumption that a large number of people in this industry, or these industries, are bleaters."
Show this thread -
"Like everything, there are some of them that don't do it as well as they could, or as well as they should."
Show this thread -
"But the largest volume of them are very, very efficient operators."
Show this thread -
So far this evening Labor, the Greens, Lleyenholm and Bernardi have spoken against establishing the Regional Investment Corporation.
#auspolShow this thread -
No word yet from Nick Xenophon Team, One Nation bloc or crossbench senators Hinch, Lambie and Gichuhi.
Show this thread -
Xenophon's broadly supportive of the Regional Investment Corporation. It seems like opponents need to muster one more vote to knock it over.
Show this thread
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.