Continuing criticism of the Federal Government's agriculture roundtable talks has continued with Nationals' leader David Littleproud weighing in. Mr Littleproud said on Tuesday 12 August that the talks - aimed at building stronger ties between government and the agriculture sector - was shrouded in secrecy, with the invitation list, agenda, and the outcomes not publicly available. He said Agriculture Minister Julie Collins was clearly hiding details of the meeting, in what appeared to be another 'box ticking' exercise for Labor. “Labor’s agriculture roundtable today is disingenuous, without any outcomes, just a statement of platitudes from the minister about how important agriculture is,” Mr Littleproud said. “The roundtable is supposed to be about increasing productivity, but the only productivity that has been given in agriculture since the election has been to US beef producers, so Prime Minister Anthony Albanese can obtain a meeting with US President Donald Trump. “If Labor really wants to protect and help our farmers, they should be proudly releasing their agenda and their outcomes and be transparent about the process. "They have done nothing for productivity in agriculture and they know it.” Mr Littleproud also said he would have been prepared to work in a bipartisan way with Labor at the roundtable, but wasn’t invited as Shadow Agriculture Minister. “Productivity is going backwards, farmers are struggling and selling their farms, and when supply goes down, prices go up. "The best Labor could offer today was ‘constructive discussions’, which means no goals, no outcomes, and no opportunity. "Farmers don’t want another talkfest, they want policies that will actually help productivity.” Mr Littleproud is also campaigning for the government to drop its plan to tax farms held in self-managed superannuation funds worth more than $3 million, while also reducing green and red tape, and stopping farmers from being forced to bear the burden of a 'reckless race' to renewables.
