Crossbench could pose a major hurdle for farmers
Voting history shows crossbench MPs could stymie the Coalition’s plans to repeal legislation if it wins office in May.
Australia’s crossbench appears at odds with farmer sentiment on major issues affecting the industry, casting doubt on the Coalition’s ability to repeal legislation in the event of a change to minority government in May.
The nation’s record crossbench of 19 has frequently voted with the Albanese government to introduce sweeping changes on the agricultural landscape, most notably banning live sheep exports by sea from May 2028 and amending the Water Act to allow for water buybacks to deliver the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full.
Nationals leader David Littleproud, who would be Australia’s deputy prime minister in the event the Coalition wins government, has repeatedly promised a Liberal-Nationals coalition would wind back bills ending the live sheep export trade by sea, and halt federal government water purchases in the basin.
“The first bill I bring in if I’m the deputy prime minister is to reinstate the live sheep industry,” Mr Littleproud told The Weekly Times.
“In the Murray-Darling Basin, we don’t support the changes the government has made. We’ll need the Senate to help us but we won’t be going down a buyback track.”
But fourteen of the then 18-seat crossbench in the Lower House voted to ensure the passage of the Restoring Our Rivers legislation in October 2023 to remove the cap on water buybacks introduced by the former Coalition government.
The only exception was independent Fowler MP Dai Le, who said she opposed the Albanese government’s plan after consulting with the National Irrigators’ Council.
“This centralised intervention from Canberra could negatively impact rice farmers by raising their water costs,” she told The Weekly Times, adding she advocated for investments in water infrastructure rather than buybacks.
Even regional MP Helen Haines, who grew-up on a dairy farm in southwest Victoria and who often raises the situation of the state’s struggling dairy farmers in parliament, voted in favour of the legislation.
After the vote, Ms Haines said she “effectively amended the government’s bill to improve accountability and support for impacted communities”.
“As an independent regional MP, I make my decisions based on what is best for Indi, what is evidence-based, and what sets up rural and regional Australia to thrive,” Ms Haines said.
Ms Haines also supported the government’s bill to end the live sheep trade.
Ms Haines was among 14 crossbenchers to vote in favour of shuttering the Western Australia-based export trade, along with the four Greens MPs and city-tied “teal” independents Monique Ryan, Zoe Daniel, Allegra Spender, Kylea Tink, Sophie Scamps and Zali Steggell.
Polls have shown it is highly possible neither Labor nor the Coalition will secure enough votes to win an outright majority in May, meaning both sides would be forced to negotiate with the crossbench to form government.
Labor can’t afford to lose more than two of its seats or it will lose its majority in the Lower House. The Coalition has a bigger task ahead of it, needing to win 18 to form a majority government.
A hung parliament would make the crossbench a force to be reckoned with - something not lost on the National Farmers’ Federation, which has been engaging with politicians of all persuasions in recent months.
“Those pieces of legislation (live sheep exports and water buybacks) are what we’re going to assess each party and politician against. Obviously they’re challenging issues for the parliament to repeal but we have been trying to demonstrate why this is particularly bad policy,” NFF president David Jochinke said.
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