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Ms LEE RHIANNON: I direct my question to the Minister for Transport Services. Why did the Government wait until trains could no longer run on the Gwabegar to Binnaway branch line before carrying out repair work that has been needed for years? Is emergency repair work being done only to avoid paying compensation to Pacific National for having to use trucks to ferry grain? When will the Government listen to the local community and upgrade and repair this branch line so that the current situation—20 trucks a day thundering on inadequate roads—is not repeated?
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: I do not know who wrote that question for Ms Lee Rhiannon.
The Hon. John Della Bosca: The Nationals?
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: It would not be The Nationals. They are too sensible to have anything to do with the Greens—as are we.
The Hon. Michael Egan: Oh no they are not.
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: Is that so?
The Hon. Duncan Gay: You took the Greens preferences in Richmond.
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: Everybody knows how I vote. The grain in the silos does not belong to Pacific National at all, and I am surprised that whoever wrote the question does not understand that. The grain belongs to growers and it is held on their behalf by organisations such as GrainCorp and the Australian Wheat Board. The Hon. Rick Colless has asked me questions on these matters on a number of occasions and the position has not changed. Discussions are ongoing with the industry about restricted grain lines. I have said on many occasions that it does not make sense to apply scarce public resources to lines that potentially will not be part of the grain belt.
The Government is happy to consider significant investment. I have already indicated that the Government is examining a process of reallocating some funds that are tied up in the broadacre agreement relating to restricted grain lines. But a decision needs to be made by industry about precise patterns of movement of grain in the future. An audit was commissioned at the request of the industry group and has been completed. The results are being circulated to industry parties. I am scheduled to have a meeting with them within the next month or so to try to resolve these matters. However, one thing is clear: it reflects no credit on the Greens, who have a public policy of phasing out food production, when they make noises in this House about their concern for rural communities.
Mr Ian Cohen: Our policy is to phase out food production? Oh, come on!
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: Absolutely! Greens policy states that we should not have agricultural food production that is based on animals. That is Greens policy. I have seen it.
Mr Ian Cohen: We have not said that.
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: Of course the Greens have said that.
Ms Lee Rhiannon: Point of order: Madam President, could you call the Minister back to the essence of the question and direct him to stop debating the question and using this time as an opportunity to cite Liberal Party propaganda to distort our policies.
The PRESIDENT: Order! I call the Deputy Leader of the Opposition to order. I remind the Minister that he must not debate the question and that his answer must be relevant to the question asked.
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: The fact of the matter is that a great deal of the grain is used in feedlots as food for animals that are kept for human consumption. It is quite clear that the Greens have a policy of phasing out this form of agricultural production. It is strange for the Greens to come into this House and express concerns about agricultural production when their policy has the potential to decimate quite significant sections of agriculture.
Mr Ian Cohen: Agribusiness!
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: Mr Ian Cohen mentions agribusiness, so he admits the Greens want to phase out agricultural production. The issues will be approached sensibly in consultation with the industry. Some hard decisions will have to be made, but I am committed to a consultative approach and will maintain that approach. I reject the Greens hypocrisy. They are in no position to make comments in support of agricultural production because fundamentally they are opposed to it. They are hypocrites. The recent election has shown that the public is becoming increasingly aware of the Greens hypocrisy.
Ms LEE RHIANNON: I ask a supplementary question.
The Hon. Michael Egan: Do you not believe in collectivisation of the farmers?
Ms LEE RHIANNON: The Treasurer can promote that when he resigns to the relief of us all. The Minister referred to ongoing discussions. Is that an excuse for his not having the courage to announce that he refuses to repair the branch line? When, if ever, will the Government upgrade this important rural branch line and stop using abuse of the Greens as an excuse?
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: I do not abuse the Greens. I expose their policies for what they are: policies that fundamentally are opposed to agricultural production.
Ms Lee Rhiannon: Point of order: Madam President, could you ask the Minister to stop debating the question and to answer it?
The PRESIDENT: Order! I remind the Minister of the standing order that relates to intimations and inferences against other members of the Chamber and ask him to refrain from making inferences against other members of the Chamber.
The Hon. MICHAEL COSTA: I certainly take the view that the Government needs to consult with the industry about matters that are important to it. Difficult decisions have to be made. The Government does not have unlimited resources to apply to every single activity that communities and some people in particular desire the Government to protect. The Government will sit down and deal sensibly with those matters in conjunction with an industry consultative group. Difficult decisions must be made in relation to branch lines and that is why I have suggested that the industry and the Government should examine the likely patterns of requirements for rail and road transportation infrastructure. Grain will be moved by road because in many locations there is no rail infrastructure, and there are very real issues associated with that.
The issue to which I was referring when the Ms Lee Rhiannon took her point of order was that if a group has policies that are fundamentally opposed to the basic economic rationale of an industry, it is surprising when they come into this House and shed crocodile tears over concern for people who will be affected by their policies. Hypothetically, if the railway line were closed, it would have less of an impact on farming activity than does the policies of the Greens.