Media Release

KENNEDY MP, Bob Katter said the Federal Minister for Agriculture had had his Road to Damascus moment, admitting on the Today Show this morning that deregulation had crippled the dairy industry.

“The Minister was responding to reports we could run out of milk supply after 500 farmers walked off the land last year,” Mr Katter said.

“Minister, you are the Government of Australia, do something about it!

“Reintroduce the scheme (a minimum milk price) that had been around for 100 years before your party abolished it.”

Mr Katter left the National Party over this very issue in 2001, but was questioning whether the Ag Minister’s epiphany was sincere or ongoing.

“We now have a situation where the only party blocking the reintroduction of a minimum price scheme is the LNP – even the Labor Party and Greens are onside,” he said.

“Continually telling Woolworths and Coles that they’ve been naughty boys and that they should raise the supermarket price of milk will make no impact whatsoever.

“It’s a classic oligopoly; the only solution is a legislated floor price.”

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