Hanrahan's grim prediction came to
mind after the gloomy looking numbers men ,
sweaty Treasurer , Joy Hockey, and Agriculture Minister , Barnaby Joyce , were snapped by our
rural reporter at yet another outback
fact finding political
visit , photo opportunity , cigar smoking free Zone
because of the high fire risk. It took place in Queensland
where much of the state is in difficulties and the Newman Government is suffering
from foot and mouth .
Moneybags
Joe announced
they had listened to what
graziers and
others had to say but could not
tell what
would be done to
answer
concerns . They would head back down south and examine the situation. You would think by now that Brisbane and
Canberra know the
deep concerns and many problems of those
on the land .
In one telling ABC TV show some time ago
a frustrated grazier said
people out west
were sick and
tired of government
bullshit and the
slow processing of
applications for drought
assistance loans . In another
ABC show , Landline , ( where would the rural community be without the tenacious
national broadcaster’s rural
reporters?) , Barnaby
was asked about the Harper Review into competition , which contained little comment on the role of the two
largest retailers , accused
of screwing
producers , buying up great chunks of other business , now apparently planning to muscle in on struggling small businesses .
Wearing
a bag of fruit for this appearance ,
instead of a
cowpuncher outfit, sitting on a bench like one of the homeless , Barnaby made
unclear statements which seemed to say that in Australia the aim of business is to
screw the competition . True . If Franklin Delano Roosevelt were alive
and running Australia today he would
bring in trust
busting legislation to break up the monopolies running much of our business, paying bugger all tax and selling the country down the drain . In short - plundering Australia. The multi-national companies also act like vampires on the lifeblood of the nation . This must be a major issue at the G20.
Barnaby spoke of the need for
transparency and the desirability that producers
get a good price at the farmgate .
Puzzlingly , he went on to say he would
push a white paper as far up as
it would go. Presumably he was
referring to the government’s response to the
Harper Review , which will
be tabled at the beginning of the Dodo mating season for further
discussion .
Lucky Queensland farmers also received a visit from the Federal Attorney-General , Senator George Brandis . Like Hockey and Barnaby , he was without a tie and coat when he mixed with the sod busters and Marlboro men . When a Q.C. sheds his gear , you know that there must be an election soon . And Queensland Deputy Premier , Jeff Seeney , has been out riding the range , looking more like Bob Katter every day in a gleaming 10 gallon hat . He was recently seen with a bunch of dudes standing in crop stubble as high as a sick elephant’s eye looking at maps and pointing to the mirage on the horizon.
Lucky Queensland farmers also received a visit from the Federal Attorney-General , Senator George Brandis . Like Hockey and Barnaby , he was without a tie and coat when he mixed with the sod busters and Marlboro men . When a Q.C. sheds his gear , you know that there must be an election soon . And Queensland Deputy Premier , Jeff Seeney , has been out riding the range , looking more like Bob Katter every day in a gleaming 10 gallon hat . He was recently seen with a bunch of dudes standing in crop stubble as high as a sick elephant’s eye looking at maps and pointing to the mirage on the horizon.
