16 September 2013
The peak industry organisation for the plant science sector welcomes today’s appointment of Barnaby Joyce MP as Minister for Agriculture and Senator Richard Colbeck as Parliamentary Secretary.
Monday 16 September 2013 (Canberra) – Barnaby Joyce’s appointment to the position of Minister for Agriculture is welcome news for Australian agriculture and the supporting agribusiness sector.
“Minister Joyce’s understanding of and commitment and dedication to Australian agriculture will stand the sector in good stead now and for the coming years, and the plant science industry is looking forward to working with him,” CropLife Australia CEO, Matthew Cossey said today.
“Farmers, agribusiness and the community alike will benefit enormously from the passion and perseverance that the new Minister brought to his previous roles. This is more important for Australia’s farming sector than ever before.
“Minister Joyce will be working from a solid foundation of smart, targeted policy commitments contained in the Coalition’s Agriculture Election Policy that will benefit both farmers and consumers. The Coalition’s commitment to funding a specialty crops and minor use program, and removing poorly targeted regulation of agricultural chemicals is a promising first step to delivering genuine gains for Australian agriculture.
“Removing productivity hurdles and unnecessary red and green tape for the nation’s farmers and agribusiness is vital for the long- term viability of Australian agriculture. Having a Minster who is a true advocate for his portfolio is crucial to ensuring that these strong policies are implemented efficiently and effectively and Minister Joyce has a proven record in this regard.
“The plant science industry also welcomes the new Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Senator Richard Colbeck. It is very positive news that Senator Colbeck’ s proven record of commitment to the agricultural portfolio in his work as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary will be continued into the new Ministry. As a previous Parliamentary Secretary in this portfolio his significant depth of understanding of the critical issues facing the sector will ensure the government starts in a very strong position in addressing the priority areas for the nation’s agriculture sector.
“I also take this opportunity to commend the Hon. John Cobb MP for the significant and highly valuable work he did in his capacity as the former Shadow Minister for Agriculture. The high quality and sensible initiatives contained in the Coalition’s agriculture policy are a testament to Mr Cobb’s passion for and understanding of the Australian farming sector. He was a strong advocate and promoter for the nation’s agriculture sector during a period when it was desperately needed.
“CropLife is looking forward to assisting and working with Minister Joyce and Senator Colbeck to implement the new Government’s election commitments and to ensure a strong, productive future for Australian agriculture,” concluded Mr Cossey.
Contact: Jessica Lee (Manager – Public Affairs) Ph: 02 6230 6399 Mob: 0410 491 261