I want to speak briefly about organic farming, which is my area of particular interest. During the election campaign I used to tell a little story, because mine is a farming community. He was just eking out a living and every year his income got less and less. He finally sold the farm and retired to town. If any members think that is a joke they are probably not a farmer.
Farmers actually think it is a true story.
The reality is that farming is not a profitable enterprise in this country. For the last 15 years we have been encouraged to be internationally competitive in commodities. That means we have to produce exactly the same thing as other countries. We have to produce the same kind of beef, the same kind of lamb, and the same kind of wool as Australia, the United States, Chile, Argentina, Brazil wherever. Multinational corporations in a position to buy these commodities shop around until they find the cheapest country to provide these things.