TFGA election questionnaire audit released
Published: 10/03/2010
TFGA election questionnaire audit released
Tasmania’s peak farming body, the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA), today released the results of an independent audit of responses by the three major political parties to a TFGA questionnaire on agricultural policy for the March 20 election.
The association will forward the findings to its farmer members throughout the state to assist them in their voting choice.
Chartered accountants Wise Lord and Ferguson conducted the audit for the TFGA, which represents 3100 agricultural enterprises and accounts for 20 per cent of Tasmanian jobs.
The questions cover the range of rural concerns: ·
- the impact of the federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity and Conservation (EPBC) Act on Tasmanian farming rights and practices; ·
- the acceleration of water licensing and dam approval processes; ·
- the clear identification of a Tasmanian Brand for rural commodities and the enforcement of truth-in-labelling laws; ·
- the creation of agricultural reserves that establish the right for certain areas of land to be farmed.
TFGA chief executive Chris Oldfield said that farmers, the public and the media would draw their own conclusions about how the parties’ responses might affect how they vote at the election.
“We don’t tell farmers how to vote,” Mr Oldfield said.
“The policy responses we sought are both encouraging and revealing. They provide the basis for the farming community knowing largely what to expect from the incoming government, whatever the election outcome.
“In addition to assessing the answers, farmers will be able to use these responses to keep the parties accountable to their public statements.
“However, it is disappointing to all with an interest in Tasmanian agriculture that the major parties have yet to formally release their complete rural policies.
“What this exercise has clearly shown,” Mr Oldfield said, “is that the economic future of this state and the well-being of the primary industry sector are inextricably linked.
They are inter-dependent.”
For a full copy of the questionnaire responses by the three political parties along with the independent auditor’s assessment of those responses please click on the following links.
TFGA election questionnaire auditor's statement
TFGA election questionnaire auditor's assessment
TFGA election questionnaire Labor Party response
TFGA election questionnaire Liberal Party response
TFGA election questionnaire Tasmanian Greens response
Contact: Chris Oldfield 0419 309 303