Still no answers from Collins: Labor tight-lipped on ag

Labor’s agriculture spokeswoman Julie Collins has left more questions than answers at a debate with Agriculture Minister David Littleproud.

Labor’s agriculture spokeswoman Julie Collins continues to leave farmers in the lurch about her party’s agenda for the $80 billion industry.

Ms Collins attended the National Press Club’s agriculture debate on Tuesday alongside Agriculture Minister David Littleproud.

The Tasmanian-based politician, who has owned Federal Labor’s agriculture portfolio for a year, did not take any new policies to the debate, or when asked, reveal whether her party would axe the Federal Government’s new Agriculture Visa.

She did not shed light on Labor’s plan to address the industry’s crippling labour shortage but did throw her support behind the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility visa scheme, which she said would be the primary solution for getting workers into the country.

“There’s no workers currently in the country on the Ag Visa,” Ms Collins said. “There’s an MOU with Vietnam. We still don’t know the details of the MOU. Labor will be making announcements later in the campaign. But this AG visa, there are no workers in Australia today. It is not a silver bullet.”

When pressed on her party’s position on the visa, Ms Collins said, “Labor would be putting out further policies further into the campaign”.

Ms Collins repeated Labor’s election promises to date, including the quarantining of $500 million from its National Reconstruction Fund for agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food and fibre.

She said the party’s Powering Australia Plan – designed to reduce emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 – would create 600,000 new jobs, with five out of six jobs in the regions.

Labor will establish a Jobs and Skills Australia plan to address a workforce shortage. The details include 465,000 fee-free TAFE places in areas of a demonstrated labour shortage. Regional telecommunications have also been targeted, with $400 million promised to expand multi-carrier mobile phone coverage along major roads.

Mr Littleproud came to the debate with a new policy to help farmers into land ownership.

The $75 million, 18-month pilot, called the Future Farmer Guarantee Scheme, would guarantee 40 per cent of an eligible new farmer’s commercial load up to a maximum of $1 million.