Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has refused to attend the National Farmer Rally outside Parliament House, ignoring farmers who travelled from Mallee to plead with the Labor Government to stop its anti-farming agenda.

Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster MP said the Prime Minister had once again demonstrated complete contempt towards farmers and rural, regional and remote Australia.

“For the Prime Minister to ignore our farmers, many who have spent days on end driving to Canberra, shows that Labor doesn’t care about our agriculture industry,” Dr Webster said.

“The Prime Minister isn’t helping or listening to those who produce our nation’s food and fibre. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins didn’t attend the rally either, which is incredibly disappointing given her recent appointment as Agriculture Minister. The Labor Government continues to cripple the industry and Mallee farmers are understandably angry and frustrated. All our farmers want is a fair go and to be able to continue feeding the country.”

Dr Webster pointed out the National Farmer Rally organisers were calling for sensible changes including scrapping Murray-Darling Basin water buybacks, scrapping new taxes for biosecurity and superannuation, scrapping unnecessary red tape from emissions reporting (known as Scope 3,  scrapping reckless renewables which is devastating prime agricultural land, protecting the 88-day backpacker visa and diesel fuel tax rebate, and overturning the decision to ban live sheep exports by sea.

“The National Farmer Rally is the most significant in a generation – it has been more than 40 years since farmers from Mallee have joined others nationwide marching as one on Parliament House because a federal government has made them feel so aggrieved.

“The Nationals proudly support those attending the rally. We always stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our farmers and will continue to fight for farming and the future of regional, rural and remote Australia.”