Liberal Democrats Lead Senate Candidate for Queensland and Former Premier, Campbell Newman, has slammed his old party’s failure to back the Reef Regulation Reversal Bill in state parliament.
The Bill seeks to undo the government’s draconian 2019 Reef Regulations Bill which farmers say has resulted in productivity declines leaving many of them questioning why they are still in the industry, according to local community leaders.
“The LNP has now really shown their true colours with this weak and utterly gutless failure to support farmers,” Mr Newman said. “It’s just more spineless pandering by the LNP to environmental extremism and lazy inefficient management of a complex problem.”
Mr Newman, who resigned from the LNP last year and is now the Liberal DEMOCRATS (LibDems) lead Senate candidate for Queensland, is on a listening tour of regional centres across the state, and will meet with business and community leaders in Mackay today, having visited Cairns and Townsville earlier this week.
In just one estimate of the many impacts on farmers, a CANEGROWERS analysis in 2020 estimated an economic hit to Queensland of $1.3 billion over ten years, because of the push to cut nitrogen applications on sugarcane crops.
“Environmental scientists do not agree about the impacts on the Great Barrier Reef. We need balanced and sensible leadership on this issue that protects both farmers and the Reef, not politicking by the Labor-Greens and the light green LNP,” said the Senate candidate for Queensland.
“Farmers make their livelihoods on the land. Nobody cares more – or knows more – about preserving soil and water quality for future generations than our multi-generational farming families.
“This heavy-handed big-brother regulation by Labor ties farmers up in a tangle of red tape and senseless bureaucracy while adding very little benefit. The LNP know this but they are too gutless and too afraid of the radical greens to do their duty in representing farmers properly.
“I applaud the Katter Australia Party for their part in introducing the Reversal Bill and I will do all I can when elected Senator for Queensland to support them,” Mr Newman said.
“The LNP’s Shadow Environment and Great Barrier Reef Minister, Sam O’Connor, is a 29-year-old from Gold Coast city. Yet another example of the major parties’ promoting career politicians instead of people with real world experience.
“This appalling lack of real leadership and depth of experience is one of the main reasons why I’ve left the LNP, joined the LibDems and am still here to serve Queenslanders,” the former Premier said. “I want to serve you by going to Canberra and giving them all the serve they deserve!”
“As has usually been the case, over the past 7 years the LNP are once again astride the barbed wire fence – they will please no one and offend everyone and they stand condemned for their political cowardice.” Mr Newman stated.
