Senator clueless on sugar industry

AUGUST 16, 2017: Moves by NSW Senator David Leyonhjelm to reverse a hard-fought decision to introduce a sugar marketing code of conduct are both ignorant and arrogant.Senator Leyonhjelm wants to scrap the Sugar Marketing Code of Conduct, and he claims he has the support of Labor senators to do so.This is an arrogant stance by a NSW Senator with no experience or understanding of the sugar industry.He calls cane farmers ‘socialists’ and he says their arguments for a right to a say over who markets their sugar are ‘piss-weak’.Senator Leyonhjelm also demonstrates his profound ignorance of the sugar industry by stating that if cane farmers don’t like the marketing option being offered by a Wilmar mill they can ‘hire a truck and send their crop 300 kilometres down the road’.He should come to Queensland and sit down and listen to cane farmers.If he did that, I think he would, and he should, withdraw his disallowance motion.He would then realise that the mandatory code of conduct seeks to force market competition into what is a monopolistic set-up. And most free market proponents want more competition in markets, not less.But if Leyonhjelm does not do that, then the so-called ‘rowdy’ sugar growers should phone the offices of Queensland Labor senators and ask them to support Queensland cane farmers over a foreign multinational.[box style="1 or 2"]Here are the phone numbers of Queensland Labor senators so growers can make those calls.Senator Murray Watt – (07) 3422 1990 or email senator.watt@aph.gov.auSenator Anthony Chisholm – (07) 3229 4477 or email senator.chisholm@aph.gov.auSenator Claire Moore – (07) 3252 7101 or email Senator.Moore@aph.gov.auSenator Chris Ketter – (07) 3881 3710 or email mailto:senator.ketter@aph.gov.au[/box]