Get a new job, Barnaby Joyce tells struggling farmers

Nearly 600 farmers in two years have been cut off aid payments, as Barnaby Joyce suggests those struggling should change careers.

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce. Picture: AAP

Nearly 600 farmers have been kicked off assistance payments in the past two years, as Barnaby Joyce suggests those struggling to turn a profit in the nation’s worst drought should consider a new livelihood.

Figures obtained by The Weekend Australian show 221 farmers in drought-stricken NSW have been booted off the Farm Household Allowance since 2017 because they had been on it for the maximum four years.

This is on top of 203 farmers taken off the scheme in Queensland, 105 in Victoria and 28 in South Australia. More than 6600 people are on the $489 fortnightly payment that helps farmers going through drought and financial hardship.

Farmers’ groups and Labor are calling for the payment’s four-year cap to be lifted during the drought, but Mr Joyce defended the government’s decision to retain the time limit.

“We’ve got to support you in the drought, but if your place is just not viable, $36,000 just isn’t going to make a difference and people have to answer their own question in their own mind if this is the job in their life for them,” he told Sky News. “We don’t want to keep people in potential poverty.

“People who have not made a profit in the last 10 years really need to seriously think, what are you doing with your life? What are you doing on the land?”

Opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon said kicking people off the payment during the drought was “the greatest act of bastardry from a government in the history of federation”.

“It is offensive for Barnaby Joyce to say ‘tough luck, get off the land’,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

“Farmers everywhere today will be just shaking their heads and feeling bewildered over Barnaby Joyce’s remarks. This is a guy who once claimed to be their champion, but he has deserted them in their hour of need.”

Scott Morrison on Thursday said the government had already made the payment more generous. “Before this drought, and before our response, it was three years forever. It’s now four years out of 10 and we’ve relaxed the rules, and increased the amount that people can earn off the farm,” the Prime Minister said this week.

“Up to $100,000 you can earn off the farm and still be eligible for the support of financial assistance through the Farm Household Allowance. So these are important changes.”

AgForce chief executive Michael Guerin said the cap should be lifted until the drought ends. “In an unprecedented drought event like this, you need to be constantly assessing and adjusting the support available … to keep rural communities together for when rain finally comes,” he said.

“The Farm Household Allowance provides absolutely vital assistance to farming families to put food on the table, fuel up the car and pay essential bills when there is little or no income, for example because of ongoing drought.

“In some cases, this is farming families’ only source of income short of selling the farm … they have already sold all their stock and non-essential farm assets.”

National Farmers Federation chief executive Tony Mahar did not respond to requests for comment.