Keogh to boost ACCC farm expertise

While Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce says the Commissioner and ACCC Agriculture Enforcement and Engagement Unit will help ensure primary producers are treated fairly and not “bullied” by big players in markets.

Mr Joyce confirmed Mr Keogh’s appointment today following months of speculation with National Farmers Federation President Brent Finlay saying it hadn’t been a very well-kept secret.

“He’s been the main candidate for a long time – we’ve been very comfortable with that,” he said.

“We certainly welcome today’s announcement; it’s long overdue.”

Mr Finlay said the new Commissioner and Unit were first announced in the Agriculture Competitiveness White Paper released by the Coalition nine months ago.

He said the AFI boss – who will start in a part-time role working three-days per week with 12-staff at the ACCC - needed support mechanisms around him to give clear advice on competition issues and the law in relation to agricultural supply chains.

That will help deliver a “fair playing field for agriculture”, he said.

“There’s been a real feeling through the industry that there hasn’t actually been a clear understanding by the ACCC about agricultural issues and how they affect farmers,” he said.

But Finlay said only time would tell if the new ACCC powers would address farmers’ concerns about competition.

“We hope that Mick Keogh gives this a real good shake but we’ll be watching closely,” he said.

“Mick is very experienced in policy and has a great understanding of the agricultural sector and we support his appointment today and wish him well.”

Mr Finlay said the NFF would also be encouraging the new Commissioner to talk to agricultural representative bodies in Australia, as various issues arise.

“We all want a transparent and level playing field; hopefully this goes towards delivering that,” he said.

The government’s Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper provided $11.4 million to the ACCC, to establish the Commissioner and Agriculture Enforcement Unit.

Mr Joyce said Mr Keogh’s appointment was another aspect of the White Paper’s delivery and showed the government believed in fair treatment.

“Right from my start in politics it’s always been the issue that the smaller farmer, the person who feels that he has the numbers and weight against him, wants to be treated fairly and now we have capacity to assist in their resolution,” he said.

Mr Joyce said the Commissioner’s first job would be to “get to the truth of issues” concerning competition in agricultural supply chains.

“I think it’s not a case of we tackle the big issues first; sometimes if might be smaller issues,” he said.

“Sometimes it might be a case of the in situ - a person who feels that they’ve been compromised, exploited or driven down.

“Maybe a horticulture producer can get their case, as a test case, clearly seen so that we can use that example to flesh through some of the contractual relationships and commercial relationships that exist between the small and the big.”

But Mr Joyce said he wanted to ensure “we always have a fair market place”.

“I want to make sure that the person who starts from nothing can always make their way to the top,” he said.

“I want to make sure that big is good, as long as they exist fairly and that people are in a job because they have a better product at a better price; not because they bullied somebody out because of their size.

“It is fundamental in the Australia that I believe in that we always have the capacity for a person who starts at the bottom to make their way through the economic stratification and therefore the social stratification that if they are the right person with the right temperament and the right work ethic they can get to the top.”

Mr Joyce said Mr Keogh had great experience and was well-respected by industry and was also a cattle producer himself providing good understanding of the complexities and specific policies, concerning agriculture and supply chains.

“Every time that I’ve put Mr Keogh’s name forward to any group that I’ve come across there’s been overwhelming support,” he said.

“I believe he’s got the competency; he’s well supported; we’ve road-tested the idea; and the reports we get back about Mr Keogh are overwhelmingly positive.

“In fact generally as soon as we mention his name they go ‘oh you’re right with him’.”

ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said Mr Keogh had a long history of involvement with the agriculture sector and his experience would be invaluable to the ACCC when making decisions on agriculture matters.

He said the Enforcement Unit contained additional staff to conduct investigations and engagement in rural and regional areas with funding provided through the Agricultural White Paper.

“Mr Keogh will play a key role in the work of the ACCC’s Agriculture Enforcement and Engagement Unit, which has been working to identify competition and fair trading issues in agriculture markets and engaging with a range of key industry groups,” he said.