Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett regrets Australian complacency

Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett says one of his biggest regrets is not developing a national water and agriculture policy, and ideological opposition to nuclear power threatens prosperity.

Jeff Kennett decries the complacency in Australia as assets such as water are frittered away and says nuclear energy must be part of the mix. Picture: Glenn Hunt / The Australian

Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett has lashed out at the widespread complacency in Australia that is seeing our nation’s resources being frittered away and has savaged federal and state governments for piling on taxes and red tape that crush innovation, profits and employment.

Mr Kennett, who is also the chairman of The Original Juice Co, took particular aim at federal agricultural minister Murray Watt after his speech at The Australian’s Global Food Forum on Wednesday where he heavily criticised the Opposition’s plan to develop nuclear power in Australia, which Mr Kennett labelled as purely a political stance that wasn’t focused on the future energy needs of Australia’s manufacturing base and broader economy.

He also lambasted the false promises of the Albanese government to lower energy bills, saying gas bills for food manufacturers had ballooned in the last few years.

He said one of his biggest regrets was not seeing Australia develop a sensible water policy that would allow catchments to move water around the country to sustain agriculture and make it a world leader.

In a lively session at the Global Food Forum sitting alongside Ritchies supermarkets boss Fred Harrison, Mr Kennett, who was Victorian Premier from 1992 to 1999 and has built a new career as company director, said Australia was a complacent nation despite having much going for it, particularly in the agriculture sector.

“It is a sign of complacency,” he said. “We are such a complacent nation, we have so much going for us. And I do worry about what the opportunities are for my children and grandchildren.

“The greatest regret of my short life, and I might live to 150 or I might not, and my greatest regret is that we have not put into place a water policy that captures water and it moves around the country so we’ve got water supply, and that we’ve never given agriculture the opportunity to have a reputation like New Zealand and Israel … of being a better supplier of quality food.

“Since Anthony Pratt’s father (late billionaire Richard Pratt) and I in the 1990s started arguing for a national water plan and a national agricultural plan...nothing has happened.

“We have wasted decades. I think generations of governments have failed this country in the area of water, and in the area of agriculture.”

He said in the minds of the Australian public agriculture doesn’t have the profile it deserves and is “not seen as a top priority” but should be.

Ritchies boss Fred Harrison and Jeff Kennett speaking at the Global Food Forum in Brisbane. Photo: Glenn Hunt / The Australian

Mr Kennett said in terms of strengthening the Australian economy and bolstering our energy reserves, nuclear power needed to be part of the mix, and he attacked comments made earlier that morning on stage by the federal agricultural minister that a proposed nuclear industry would demand huge volumes of water that could be taken from the agriculture sector and farmers.

“It has got to be part of the energy mix in order to provide energy at a reasonable cost for manufacturers and the farmers,” Mr Kennett said.

“We’re not going to survive on wind and sun alone. We desperately need more gas to get us over the short term, but nuclear is part of the mix and I’m sorry that the (federal) minister is hanging on to this view that we are against it as a political thought.

“We have got to be thinking to the future.”

Meanwhile, Ritchies supermarkets boss Fred Harrison during the same session at the Global Food Forum said consumers were still struggling to cover their bills and cope with the mounting cost of living, forcing many to put less items in the shopping baskets.

Ritchies CEO Fred Harrison says shoppers are feeling the pressure of cost of living at his stores and putting less in their baskets. Photo: Glenn Hunt

“Overall we are seeing the consumer really tighten their belts. They’re almost shopping on the basis of ‘how do I avoid making purchases or how do I save one night’,” said the boss of the independent Ritchies supermarket chain which has around 80 stores across the eastern seaboard.

“So we are seeing definitely customers buying that one less item and people are incredibly promotionally orientated and we are seeing special sales up 6 or 7 per cent from 12 months ago.”

This was evident in heightened sales of mince meat, which Mr Harrison said were “through the roof” and indicated shoppers were trading down from more expensive cuts.

“I just confirmed again this morning, all mince sales, beef, chicken and pork, are up.”