Agriculture’s big issues in 2016

The federal Coalition government eventually provided a dairy industry assistance package valued at about $580 million comprising concessional loans and bolstered financial and social support services.

The crisis also prompted vocal calls - including from Agriculture and Water resources Minister Barnaby Joyce - for Coles to stop the unsustainable practice of selling milk at $1 per litre and devaluing the product to consumers.

The backpacker tax issue festered throughout the year and was eventually resolved in the final sitting week of parliament, at a 15 per cent rate, in a deal between the Coalition and Greens with support from the Upper House crossbench through the votes of One Nation, the Nick Xenophon and NSW Liberal Democratic Senator David Leyonhjelm.

The Coalition confirmed controversial moves to decentralise Canberra based agencies the Grains Research and Development Corporation, Rural Industries RDC and Fisheries RDC into various regional locations.

However, a decision to also shift the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to Armidale, in Mr Joyce’s electorate, has continued to cause the Coalition political headaches and is opposed by the majority of farm groups.

Treasurer Scott Morrison delayed any potential sale of the iconic Kidman & Co cattle empire to Chinese interests until after the federal election, in response to a $370 million bid structured with local ownership.

But this month the Treasurer eventually approved sale of the station that measures 101,000 square kilometres across WA, NT, SA and Queensland, saying he was convinced it wasn’t against the national interest, to mining magnate Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting with a third going to Chinese partner Shanghai CRED through joint-venture company Australian Outback Beef.

Federal politicians heavily criticised the NSW government’s decision to ban greyhound racing which was eventually over-turned but it also cost the rural party their state seat of Orange at a recent by-election and Troy Grant’s leadership.

Barnaby Joyce retained his agricultural and water policy ministerial portfolio after becoming Nationals’ leader in February and held onto it post-election following the Coalition’s win and his defeat of rival Tony Windsor to retain his seat of New England.

NSW mixed farmer Fiona Simson was elected to become the National Farmers’ Federations first-ever female president replacing Queensland cattle producer Brent Finlay who stood down after a three-year term.

The peak national farm lobby group also moved to change and modernise its climate change policy, to accept the science and its future impacts on farm production.

Australian Farm Institute executive director Mick Keogh was appointed the first ever national Agricultural Commissioner at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s new Agricultural Enforcement and Engagement Unit.

The Productivity Commission released a draft report into agricultural red and green tape that recommended axing unjustifiable regulatory burdens that limit profitability, like State based moratoriums on Genetically Modified crops and complex rules that hinder foreign investment. The final report has been handed to the government for a response.

Greens Victorian Senator Janet Rice replaced the party’s long-serving WA Senator Rachel Siewert as its agricultural spokesperson post-election.

Controversy and political backlash erupted late in the year over the Murray Darling Basin Plan’s implementation after SA Water Minister Ian Hunter swore at state and federal counterparts during a ministerial council meeting in Adelaide.

Queensland Nationals Senator Barry O’Sullivan called for a federal royalties for regions scheme to be implemented as part of a new review into the operations of the federal government’s Petroleum Resource Rent Tax.

Ahead of the federal election, controversy erupted over legislation that was eventually passed to end the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal to avoid increased transport costs that the NFF had expressed fear would be forced back onto farmers.

The Coalition initiated legislation to establish agricultural levy-payer data-bases for rural research and development corporations to also be accessed by peak industry bodies.

Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council CEO Alison Penfold stepped down after almost five years in the role during the industry’s steady recovery from the Indonesian live export suspension of 2011 and was replaced by Simon Westaway.

Barnaby Joyce started his first day as acting Prime Minister with typical good humour, appearing on The Today Show saying of his new responsibilities, “I don’t think I’m walking around with a briefcase with the codes to a nuclear bomb in it”.

Mr Joyce also put to bed his ongoing media spat with Hollywood heartthrob Johnny Depp after the actor and his wife appeared in a video repenting biosecurity breaches relating to their pet dogs Boo and Pistol arriving in Australia illegally last year.

The Depps’ biosecurity video came after they appeared before the Southport Magistrates Court on the Gold Coast in Brisbane to face charges relating to the incident to which Ms Heard pleaded guilty.

The 40 second video became an internet sensation and featured Mr Depp saying Australia’s unique biosecurity system had to be protected.

“When you disrespect Australian law they will tell you firmly - declare everything when you enter Australia,” he said in a strange monotone delivery,” he said.

2016 federal election highlights

Outspoken and colourful NSW Liberal Senator and Junee farming champion Bill Heffernan retired from federal politics after 20-years, ahead of the July 2 election.

His departure coincided with the departure of other veteran farming identities including; long-serving Nationals leader and senior cabinet minister Warren Truss, former Shadow Agriculture Minister John Cobb, Victorian rural MP Sharman Stone, one-time Trade Minister Andrew Robb, former Industry and Science Minister Ian Macfarlane and Queensland Nationals MP Bruce Scott.

Former Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture and Tasmanian Liberal Senator Richard Colbeck was not re-elected after being demoted on his party’s Senate ticket in a bitter pre-selection battle against power-broker and state Senator Eric Abetz.

SA Liberal Senator and rural and farming advocate Sean Edwards suffered a similar fate after he was also placed in a tough, virtually unwinnable position, on the party’s Upper House ticket.

For Labor, former Agriculture Minister and Queensland Senator Joe Ludwig stepped down from politics along with vocal live export critics - WA Fremantle MP Melissa Parke and Victorian Wills MP Kelvin Thomson.

One Nation won four Senate seats at the election - giving it a central role in negotiations involving an expanded crossbench - with the new line-up including party leader and founder Pauline Hanson.

Originally elected under the One Nation banner, former Williams farmer and WA Senator Rod Culleton quit the party in December to become an independent member, after ongoing tensions with Senator Hanson.

He has also faced several ongoing and high profile legal battles, including in the High Court testing his eligibility for election according to Section 44 of the constitution and bankruptcy charges.

The battle for New England between bitter rivals Barnaby Joyce and Tony Windsor provided many intriguing and tense moments including a satirical election commercial featuring two women sharing coffee, where one received a text message from a fictitious Tony Windsor character saying, “Hey New England how about another chance?”

The advert ended with one of the women named “New England” replying with a simple but straightforward text message, “Not this time Tony”.

Queensland Independent MP Bob Katter released a satirical election advert aimed at a nationalistic message on foreign investment that suffered criticisms for depicting gun violence against fictitious ALP and LNP characters played by the Betoota Advocate’s two authors.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s National Press Club Address during the election campaign contained a positive message about Australian agriculture being an innovative and science-driven industry which he said would continue growing in economic stature, under a re-elected Coalition government.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten backed the future of live animal exports - despite the industry coming under fire from the RSPCA and animal activists for animal welfare incidents, during the election campaign - at a public forum saying “Do we support the ongoing development of the live export industry? Yes.”

The Coalition’s agricultural election policy was highlighted by plans to implement a federal Regional Investment Corporation to help streamline the delivery of Commonwealth drought loans and lending for water infrastructure projects by cutting out added bureaucracy of state and territory governments.

The Australian Greens revealed an agriculture election policy package focussed on boosting farm research and tackling climate change, centred on a proposal to spend $100 million over four years to build a new Centre for Sustainable Agriculture.

Labor’s agriculture policy highlighted sustainable profitability for farmers but included plans to establish an independent Inspector-General of Animal Welfare and renew the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy that have been rejected by industry and the Coalition.

The NFF’s federal election strategy promised to scrutinise the capacity of agricultural policies, put forward by the Coalition, Labor and Greens, to turbo-charge the industry’s value towards $100 billion.

In an election policy scorecard, the NFF rated the Coalition three out of five stars in each policy analysis category, gaining 15 stars in total, which was the same number awarded to Labor (eight) and the Greens (seven) combined.