After last week’s spineless betrayal of Queensland farmers, Labor Agriculture Minister Mark Furner and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk are expected to swan into Beef Week grinning as if nothing is wrong and they haven’t sold out Queensland’s beef industry.
Shadow Minister for Agriculture Tony Perrett called out Labor’s phantom Agriculture Minister for cowering in the corner as the debate raged on whether Labor’s unfair vegetation laws should pass.
"Mark ‘Phantom’ Furner lacked the courage to stand up for the farmers he was happy to sell out in favour of green votes in inner-city Brisbane, and now he and his anti-farmer boss have the hide to head to Rocky to rub producers noses in it," said Mr Perrett.
"But should it really be any surprise? Furner is the same man who, when he was a Federal Labor Senator, was callously complicit in Labor’s disastrous 2011 live export ban.
"As a Senator for Queensland he stayed mute as our graziers were on their knees from this rushed and devastating kick in the guts.
"Minister Furner has been all too happy to don an Akubra and a shiny, new pair of RMs on trips to the regions to give lip service to our hard working farmers and graziers.
"Yet, despite their famous hospitality, farmers and graziers have long memories and can spot an imposter from a mile away.
"They won’t forget the man who signed the green group Wilderness Society’s 100-day pledge to change vegetation laws before the last state election.
"They won’t forget how he hid in Brisbane as the hearings and debate on Labor’s devastating laws raged around the state.
"They won’t forget how their supposed representative in Cabinet failed to fight for farmer’s futures and livelihoods.
"Mark Furner’s silence has been deafening even as his party rolled out its campaign to demonise our farmers and the rural and regional communities they support.
"Only the Liberal National Party has consistently stood up for hard-working families, farmers and our regions.
"Only the Liberal National Party understands graziers and consistently fights for their property rights and interests."
