National Foods runs scared from dairy inquiry & farmers rally

Multi-national milk processing company, National Foods, has decided to avoid looking in the eye of dairy farmers who will rally in Devonport on Tuesday as part of the Senate’s milk pricing inquiry.

Instead, National Foods representatives will appear before the Senate committee in the more comfortable confines of Parliament House in Canberra the following day.

Senator for Tasmania and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry Richard Colbeck said National Foods’ decision to scamper off to Canberra will be seen as another slap in the face to dairy farmers.

“National Foods is running scared from Tasmania’s dairy farmers,” Senator Colbeck said.

“It is disgraceful this multi-national company does not have the fortitude to front the inquiry in Devonport and face those dairy farmers who will rally on the same day.

“National Foods is happy lecturing farmers from fancy multi-million dollar corporate offices in Melbourne, but when will they front the farmers, their families and communities who will suffer as a result of National Foods’ boardroom decisions?

“National Foods’ senior executives clearly don’t want to understand the awful situation facing the local dairy industry.

“They don’t want to hear about the crippling effects of the low prices they are offering dairy farmers.

“They don’t want to see how farmers have faced torrential weather conditions over recent weeks. And they don’t want to see what a week of power outages can do to an already struggling dairy business.”

Senator Colbeck said despite National Foods’ decision to avoid the dairy farmers’ rally, he would ensure tough questions were asked when they appeared before the Senate Committee in Canberra on Wednesday.

“They might think they can avoid the dairy farmers and supporters rally in Devonport, but National Foods can’t avoid answering the questions dairy farmers wish to ask when they appear before the inquiry in Canberra.

“And National Foods can be assured this will be under the glare of Canberra’s national press gallery including the national rural media.”
SENATOR THE HON RICHARD COLBECK Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry