Judi Moylan MP

Judi Moylan Urges Rudd to Listen to Wheat Growers

Federal Member for Pearce, the Hon Judi Moylan MP says it’s time for the Rudd Government to listen to Australian wheat growers, with a recent survey showing that a massive 80% of growers supported the Single-desk structure, while only 6% supported total deregulation. The survey, conducted by the Federal Member for New England, Tony Windsor MP, asked over 20,000 wheat growers whether they supported a Single-desk structure or the new multi-licensing system proposed by the Rudd Government and full deregulation of the market. Mrs Moylan said the results were not at all surprising with growers in her own Electorate expressing similar views. “Mr Windsor’s survey results correspond with a survey I conducted with grain growers in the Pearce Electorate twelve months ago,” Mrs Moylan said. “The results showed that out of all growers surveyed in Pearce 92% emphatically supported the retention of a Single desk marketing system.” Mrs Moylan has called on the immediate release of the findings of the Ralph Report on wheat that was commissioned in 2007 by the Wheat Export Marketing Consultation Committee. The inquiry included 26 public meetings held across Australia and eight meetings with key industry bodies. “The Ralph Report supports the results of the both the Windsor and Pearce surveys however the full findings have never been released,” Mrs Moylan said. “The Ralph Report resulted from extensive consultation with the country’s wheat growers and shows what the majority of producers want – the preservation of the Single-desk system. I call upon the Rudd Government to release the findings of the Ralph Report immediately,” Mrs Moylan said. “The Government has no right to retain this report; it should be a public document. It was paid for by taxpayers and there is no reason why the Government should withhold it.” Mrs Moylan said she is at a loss to understand why the Government is ignoring the majority of grain growers and pressing ahead with the proposed changes to the wheat marketing system. “The release of the draft Wheat Marketing Bill demonstrates that the Rudd Government has a poor understanding of issues associated with wheat marketing, particularly down stream services,” Mrs Moylan said. “There are major issues with port access, the bulk handling and transport of wheat, as well as the matter of rail closures. There is clear indication that the Government has given no thought to any of these issues. Not to mention the question of how smaller growers are going to compete with their larger counterparts.” “Commodity traders have predicted that this year’s grain harvest could top 17 million tonnes from Western Australia alone. Without a single-desk manager in place for wheat we face potential chaos with thousands of additional truck movements on rural and metropolitan roads most of which will be over peak summer holiday months,” Mrs Moylan explained. “This policy is ill thought through and goes against the wishes of the majority of grain growers. If the Government intends to proceed with this Bill then they need to immediately adopt a Compensation Policy for growers, many of whom face commercial extinction.” “The people that grow the wheat, many of whom come from generations of grain growers, who have spent a lifetime growing and marketing wheat know what is best for the industry and it’s time for the Rudd Government to listen to these people.”