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Pauline Hanson slams Mandatory Dairy Code of Conduct as “massive failure!”

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MEDIA RELEASE

The long-awaited Mandatory Dairy Code of Conduct has been described by One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson as a massive failure that doesn’t secure a fair milk price for dairy farmers and may even drive farm gate prices down.

She added that a code has been needed since early 2018, when it was first suggested, to help stem the continuing haemorrhaging of farmers from the dairy industry. 

Senator Hanson said blame for any fallout from the disastrous mandatory code would be held by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie, who she said had to have “her arm twisted” to actually finish the code promptly as was promised.

“The code, which has been delayed all year, has finally been finished thanks to pressure from One Nation, but they still couldn’t get it right. It is one massive failure and an enormous disappointment for struggling farmers,” Senator Hanson said.

“This code was supposedly made a priority by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who had to virtually twist the arm of Agriculture Minister McKenzie to get on and finish it promptly, and the result is very disappointing.

“The simple summary is this: the dairy code of conduct will not save farmers from being forced to sell their milk below cost price.

“It begs the question: why is it so hard for the Government, particularly the National Party, to support dairy farmers and give them some surety?” 

Senator Hanson noted that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission had recommended the code in April 2018, and delays in implementation had overseen dairy farmer numbers fall by approximately 500, which was having a detrimental impact on rural communities.  She added that Australia was experiencing falling production each year and, by 2023, would be a net-importer of dairy products.

Senator Hanson said the Mandatory Dairy Code failed in key areas:

  • It fails to secure an industry minimum farm gate price for milk that ensures farmers can cover production costs and earn a fair income;
  • While it does require a minimum price be included in each contract, it does not guarantee that that price should be above production costs;
  • It also allows agreed milk prices to be reduced by processors “in exceptional circumstances”, which are not clearly defined and leaves farmers with ongoing insecurity about their income.

Senator Hanson has vowed to keep pushing for improved laws through her Saving Australian Dairy Bill, which has been rejected twice in the Senate by Liberal and National senators.

She has campaigned for the introduction of a fair farm gate price that is determined by the ACCC to allow farmers to remain viable and the industry to remain strong. She has not campaigned for a return to full regulation.

“Costs differ to produce milk in each region, and that’s why it should be up to the ACCC to determine how much it is to produce milk in those regions, investigated twice a year,” she said.

“What happened years ago was the Government subsidised the dairy industry – both state and federal – and that is not what I am asking for now.

“I am asking for the processors to pay a fair farm gate price to the dairy farmer; that is, the production cost and profit, which they’re not getting at the moment, which is passed on.

“It’s the consumer that pays the price, not the government.”

Australians have already made it clear that they will pay more for milk in the knowledge it would help to sustain the dairy industry.

The mandatory code will be introduced from January 1, with a review of its effectiveness and impact to be conducted after 12 months.

“It’s now a case of wait and see how destructive the code is and how many farmers will continue to call it a day and exit the industry,” Senator Hanson said.

“I imagine by about March we’ll have a good idea about how damaging this code actually is.”

The code gives authority to the ACCC to ensure code compliance by farmers and processors.

Senator Hanson rejected suggestions that a farm gate price would breach international trade agreements.

END

This release has been distributed to media outlets in the Canberra Press Gallery and around Australia.

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Statement on Supporting Integrity

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MEDIA RELEASE

The overarching consideration for any decisions made by One Nation in Parliament is this: is it good for Australia?

It was exactly this that guided our decision on the Ensuring Integrity Bill.

As I have said countless times, One Nation’s decision does not absolve the union movement of its responsibility to take genuine steps now to stamp out thuggery, corruption, standover actions, and unreasonable demands from employers. But I also have made clear that business groups also need to work with government to stamp out white collar crime and make sure they deliver fair wages and conditions for their employees.

Senator Hanson and Senator Roberts speak to the media after the defeat of the Governments Ensuring Integrity Bill

It is only fair that all sides of the work and employment sector all improve their behaviour.

The Government has made a number of allegations about me since the vote last Thursday, and all of them are false.

They suggested I had given a guarantee that I would support the bill. I never did that. This lie was also picked up by the media, which kept repeating it to the point that some people believed it. 

Headlines that suggest that One Nation “flip flopped” are also not true. And to suggest that we “blind-sided the Government” is actually an issue for the Government, which apparently has believed its own hype and the media’s desperation for a scoop.

There have also been allegations that my vote was directly related to the Westpac money laundering fiasco, which revealed that Westpac had allowed around 23-million international cash transactions that may have aided child exploitation crimes; that it was somehow connected to the Government’s cash ban bill, which proposes to limit any cash payments by consumers to a maximum $10,000; and another allegation was that I had made a deal over the Bill with the CFMMEU. All these claims are false.

And, most recently, the Government also suggested I had given a written guarantee and had even texted Ministers that I would support the Bill. I never did that, and I’ve followed up that with a request for the recipients of those so-called texts to prove their allegations by releasing them publicly. 

No doubt they will find any excuse as to why they won’t reveal those texts, but the truth is they don’t exist.

As I said at the outset, One Nation’s vote against the bill was based on the belief that it is a poor law and it was not in the interests of Australia.

One Nation is a mature and growing party. It operates only for what is best for Australia and the Australian people. Any suggestion that we function any differently is false.


Senator Pauline Hanson
Senator For Queensland
National One Nation Leader

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One Nation’s Senator Hanson’s changes aim for fair Union integrity bill

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MEDIA RELEASE

One Nation senator Pauline Hanson has revealed her Integrity Bill amendments that improve the operations of unions, but better safeguards union executives over being sacked for very minor issues.

Senator Hanson has released her amendments for the Ensuring Integrity Bill, which aim to improve the fairness of guidelines for the ongoing operation of unions.

“I won’t stand for union bashing and therefore I won’t support the de-registration of organisations for misdemeanour offences like late paperwork submissions,” Senator Hanson said.

“I have however forewarned union bosses that bullying and thuggery must be stamped out in accordance with public expectations.”

The One Nation amendments to the Bill require higher levels of offence before deregistration action can be considered against a union and its executives.

In summary, the amendments replace the requirement of merely “a finding” of wrongdoing for action to be taken, with the requirement of an order for a civil offence or a conviction for a criminal offence.

An adviser for Senator Hanson explained that “a finding” may count against a union official, but it was neither a conviction nor an order taken out by the courts. The amendment means a higher level of breach is required before a matter can be referred to the regulating body, the Registered Organisations Commission.

Equally, One Nation has requested the removal of “strict liability” for a breach being sufficient to trigger action, which it regards as a reversal of the onus of proof that is the accepted standard in a court of law.

It was also agreed the bill would be amended so that a conviction offshore would not count as an offence under the bill.

The changes provide a better balance between the Government’s position and that of the Unions and their members, for the protection of volunteer union officials.

Senator Hanson noted that she had consulted widely over the Bill, including with the unions.

END

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Statement – Ensuring Integrity Bill 2019

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I have asked the Attorney General to release all amendments surrounding the Ensuring Integrity Bill ASAP.

My office and I have worked constructively with a number of Unions over recent months, who have raised a quantity of genuine concerns about the original draft of this Bill.

I have released One Nation’s amendments for the sake of transparency after listening to the Unions and their members who took the time to consult with my office.

I won’t stand for Union bashing and therefore I won’t support the de-registration of organisations for misdemeanour offences like late paperwork submissions.

I have however forewarned Union bosses that bullying and thuggery must be stamped out in accordance with public expectations.

Senator Pauline Hanson
One Nation National Leader
Senator for Queensland

END

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Childhood victims of Family Law system urged to make submissions as Inquiry deadline nears

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MEDIA RELEASE

Childhood victims of poor outcomes from the Family Law system are urged to pass their concerns – along with their suggestions for improvements – to the Parliament’s Family Law Inquiry.

The deadline for making submissions to the landmark inquiry closes on December 18.

This review is the most holistic investigation of the entire Family Law and Child Support systems in decades; it is unhindered by tight terms of reference, short time-frames or geographical difficulties.

“Children are often the most impacted by family breakup, with the confusion and hurt of seeing their parents split on many occasions amplified by the added challenges of dealing with the court system,” Senator Hanson said.

“So I want to encourage any teenagers, young adults and even grown-ups who experienced such problems when they were children, to all consider making a submission to the Inquiry.

“The committee needs to know the problems of the family law system, and those who experienced the difficulties have valuable first-hand personal  information that can help improve the system for families into the future.”

The inquiry will investigate every aspect of the Family Law and Child Support systems, from custody issues, support payments, performance of lawyers and court appointed experts, delays in the court system, and other issues.

“I have only one aim with this inquiry and that is to help facilitate a holistic, unhindered, unbiased review into a very complex system that is impacting negatively on the lives of hundreds and thousands of men, women and children across Australia,” Senator Hanson said.

“There are countless stories of hardships and problems caused as a result of the broken family law system, for men and women, but particularly impacting children.

“So we need this review to look at all the issues honestly, and come up with solutions to make the process better for those impacted.”

The inquiry committee will hold hearings across Australia, in both cities and rural areas.

For information about the Joint Select Committee on Australia’s Family Law System, including guides to making a submission, visit: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Family_Law_System/FamilyLaw

The Committee Secretariat can be contacted at:

PO Box 6100, Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: 02 6277 3439

Email: familylaw.sen@aph.gov.au

END

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Hanson urges more expansion to farmer drought payments

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MEDIA RELEASE

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has called for an end to time limits for payments to drought-impacted farmers under the Farm Household Allowance program.

The allowance, an amount equal to Newstart payments, is available to farmers who are suffering financial stress due to the drought, which has extended into eight years for many communities.

Senator Hanson has criticised Government rules that restrict the payments to “four years in each specified 10-year period”. The first four-year period started in 2014.

“Farmers are still the backbone of this country,” Senator Hanson said in a speech to the Senate.

“One Nation and I will continue to fight to make sure farmers who are struggling financially due to the impact of this extended drought get the support they need.

“The government remains incredibly out of touch with farmers and their needs through these difficult times.

“The eligibility for these Farm Household Allowance payments should be in place for struggling farmers for as long as the drought emergency lasts, whether it’s five years, 10 years or longer, or for a period of time until they are deriving a farm income.

“The point I’ve made previously is that we don’t put time limits on payments for those receiving Newstart.  In fact, there are families that have received such payments for generation after generation, yet we allow that to go on with hardly any questions asked.

“It is worth noting that farmers who receive these Farm Household Allowance payments are not just sitting on the couch watching TV or sitting down at the pub, unlike many other welfare recipients who take these payments as a right.

“The farmers are continuing to work, caring for the cattle, buying fodder, fixing fences, managing weeds and just doing what they can to make ends meet while they wait for the rains that will end the drought. From there they can rebuild their farming operations and their lives.”

Senator Hanson is also angered that the Government has suggested farmers who are struggling should consider their farming futures.

“I’m annoyed that the default position of the government seems to be to tell farmers to reconsider their futures,” she said.

“To me, that sounds like government code for: ‘We have no answers. We give up and we want you to give up too.’

“I’m not having any of that. Our farmers are the lifeblood of Australia. I’m not going to give up. I’m keeping this important industry alive and thriving.

“We grow the best food in the world and we have the best milk and the best livestock, and we are not going to just throw that all away.

“I call on the PM to clean up our own backyard and look after Australians first before handing out hard-earned taxpayer dollars in foreign aid to other nations, who use us as a milking cow, and addressing climate change demands.

“I won’t be taken for a mug and neither will most other Australians.”

END

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Pauline Hanson supports Bradfield Scheme, but China can’t own it!

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MEDIA RELEASE

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is warning Queenslanders not to let the LNP contract a foreign company to build any Bradfield-type water scheme, which could see taxpayers being forced to pay for their own water.

Senator Hanson said a typical LNP approach was to allow overseas companies to own major state infrastructure, and then charge the Government and taxpayers to get any benefit for it. 

“Any water that is harvested in Queensland belongs to Queenslanders, and we must make sure we retain ownership and keep getting ongoing benefits from the completed infrastructure,” Senator Hanson said.

“The feasibility study used by LNP leader Deb Frecklington to support its policy is one that suggests foreign investment, foreign builders and then foreign ownership – the last thing we need is for a country like China to build and own an iconic project like this.

“I won’t stand to see Queenslanders paying China for our own water, all because the LNP is too timid to take on a project like this on its own, with Australian engineers and workers.

“LNP and also Labor Governments have a track record of selling off infrastructure to foreigners, and I want Queenslanders to join me to fight together to stop this happening again.”

Senator Hanson was responding to the announcement that an LNP Government would build a Bradfield-type Scheme if it wins the October 2020 Queensland election. The scheme proposes building dams in the high rainfall areas of north Queensland and piping the water to western Queensland to help irrigate farm lands and increase flows to river systems, including the Murray-Darling.

Senator Hanson also questioned why the Liberal and Nationals had had such a sudden change of heart over the Bradfield-type Scheme, which has been a long-term One Nation policy that has been criticised regularly in the past.

“Barnaby Joyce gave some support to it but was quickly told to get back in his box, and then I raised it in the Senate and the Liberals and Nationals voted against it,” Senator Hanson said.

“The LNP has hardly spoken a word of it, even criticising me for raising it, but now that there’s an election looming they’ve decided to steal the One Nation policy and run with it.”

In a Notice of Motion in February, Senator Hanson asked: “That the Senate calls on the Federal Government immediately to allocate $10 billion to commence the construction of the much-needed hybrid Bradfield Scheme.”

In response, Assistant Minister Senator Anne Ruston said: “The Bradfield Scheme requires high up-front capital costs and, coupled with the ongoing running costs, would make the project unviable”.

The Senate voted 4 in favour and 46 against Senator Hanson’s idea.

Water Resources Minister David Littleproud was also quoted in the media in August as saying, “Those that want to solely [support] the Bradfield scheme actually do no benefit to the cause of water infrastructure.”

“We shouldn’t be holding onto something that is some years old and was discredited many years later,” he is reported as saying.

One Nation supported the building of a hybrid Bradfield Scheme as 2017 State Election and 2019 Federal Election policies. The party has for years been criticised for persisting with the plan, yet that persistence has now paid off by generating wider acceptance of the ambitious idea.

“A hybrid Bradfield Scheme needs to be built now – not in five years’ time. If I had been in control, it would already be happening,” Senator Hanson said.

“I’ve said all along that this is a game-changing project, and I’m glad that others are now talking about it. It’s early days, and we still need to wait and see if the LNP actually is able to win the election, which is very far from a given, and then see if it actually proceeds with the scheme.”

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Pauline Hanson secures Senate investigation of dairy industry

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MEDIA RELEASE

A Senate investigation into the performance of Australia’s dairy industry since deregulation in 2000 has been secured by One Nation senator Pauline Hanson.

The Senate voted 33 to 28 in favour of Senator Hanson’s request for what will be a “very broad” inquiry into the industry.

The deregulation of the dairy industry was controversial almost two decades ago and unrest has never completely subsided over the ensuing years.

“The whole dairy industry has been a mess over recent years, and it really doesn’t look like getting much better on its own any time soon, so it is quite vital that we conduct this inquiry to identify and expose the problems, and introduce solutions,” Senator Hanson said.

“The inquiry will be very broad, focusing on industry management, profitability, funding and government support, regulation of farm gate prices, and other issues.”

The One Nation leader has been laser-focussed in her determination to have changes introduced to make sure the industry does not die and so Australia doesn’t become dependent on imported milk and dairy products.

“As I have said many times, we cannot allow our dairy industry to crumble to such desperate lows that farmers simply walk off the land or, worse still, resort to other drastic actions like suicide, which has occurred in an unacceptable number of cases,” Senator Hanson said.

“The fact that there has been little meaningful support from Government only makes the battle even more hopeless and lonely for many struggling dairy farmers.

“We need them to stay profitable, so they can keep producing milk and provide for their families, and to preserve their chosen way of life, which has been that way for generations.”

The inquiry will be conducted via the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee. It is scheduled to report back with its findings and recommendations in March 2020.

Topics included in Senator Hanson’s notice of motion, including an examination of the ability of Dairy Australia to act independently and support the interests of both farmers and processors, the accuracy of statistical data collected by Dairy Australia and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the funding of Dairy Australia and its consultation and engagement on certain expenditures, the merits of tasking the ACCC to investigate how it can regulate the price of milk per litre paid by processors to dairy farmers to ensure a viable dairy industry, the introduction of a mandatory industry code of practice, and related matters.

Senator Hanson is encouraged that those and other matters will now be thoroughly investigated by the Parliament, to the benefit of the dairy industry and farmers.

END

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Pauline Hanson on Family Law

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I am very proud that I have played a role in highlighting the dire need for an all-encompassing inquiry of the Family Law and Child Support systems in Australia, and I thank the Prime Minister from the bottom of my heart for agreeing to give it the go-ahead.

An examination of this system is a need that I have pushed since first entering public life in 1996 and ramped that up further from my re-election as a senator in 2016.

This inquiry will be historic in that it will deliver the most comprehensive examination of the Family Law system in decades. 

It is a shame that Labor voted against this review, but I will leave it up to Labor MPs and Senators to explain their blunt opposition to their supporters who are suffering and actually need this review.

I am concerned that some self-interest groups are already trying to demean this vital investigation by suggesting I have an agenda or intend to show favouritism to certain sectors through the inquiry process. That suggestion is rubbish.

I have only one aim: to help facilitate a holistic, unhindered, unbiased review into a very complex system that is impacting negatively on the lives of hundreds and thousands of men, women and children across Australia.

Some commentators have suggested I will side with men in this review. That is also not true. Men and women, equally, reveal horror experiences created as a result of the Family Law system.

I do acknowledge that men are often unfairly disadvantaged and stigmatised in many family breakup situations, are often left without a voice and overlooked in favour of women’s rights; however, this review will listen to everyone.

It is true that there have been previous reviews, but all of those reviews were focussed on specific niche aspects of the Family Law and Child Support systems. This review will be unique in that it will look at the entire system; it is unhindered by tight terms of reference, short time-frames or geographical difficulties.

This review will welcome all opinions, all voices, all suggestions, from men and women from all cities and rural areas.

We need change to the Family Law system. We can only achieve that by putting aside political and philosophical differences and supporting a thorough, honest and open inquiry.

Kind regards

Pauline Hanson

Senator for Queensland

Leader of One Nation

END

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Hi-vis vests, King Gees and boots? Pauline Hanson welcomes mineworkers to share Family Law experiences

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Media Release

One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson has assured she will push for hearings for the Family Law Inquiry to be scheduled in every state and territory, including in some of Australia’s remote mining areas.

The assurance has been welcomed by West Australian MLC Robin Scott, whose electorate includes the mining City of Kalgoorlie Boulder, and includes family law issues as key recent concerns.

Senator Hanson wants to make sure key sectors of the working community are not overlooked and that they get convenient access to the listening ears of committee members when the historic inquiry begins.

“This issue impacts people in all walks of Australian life – it doesn’t discriminate – and mine workers are among sectors of society that have been hit very hard, both financially and emotionally, by the problems in the system,” Senator Hanson said.

“I want to make sure they are able to have a say – they can turn up in their high-vis shirts, King Gees and work boots, however they feel comfortable – but they must have that opportunity to express their views.

“I’ll be pushing hard to make sure hearings are scheduled in key mining regions because everyone needs to be heard and we will come to them.”

Some mineworkers say they feel like they are regarded as “milking cows”, being continually hit for more funds by their ex-partners because of the relatively high wages they might receive as a result of the hard labour that goes with their profession. They also often feel they have nowhere to turn due to the remoteness of many of their work sites.

One Nation’s Mr Scott, whose constituents include the workers in Kalgoorlie Boulder, is a strong advocate for those locals impacted by Family Law shortcomings.

Mr Scott acknowledged there were horror stories from both men and women, and the review would give everyone a chance to have a say.

He also noted the high attendance at a Family Law and Child Safety forum held in Mandurah, just near Perth, in August as indicating the readiness of the local community to respond to the historic review.

The Family Law Inquiry is the most comprehensive review of the Family Law and Child Support systems in decades. It will be made up of 10 members of parliament and senators and will invite submissions from the public in coming weeks.

ENDS

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