It was a pleasure to welcome members of the Moyhu Bowls Club and Eldorado Indoor Carpet Bowls to Parliament House last week for a tour and a few friendly games. With wonderful weather and great company, the day was a fantastic opportunity to showcase Parliament while enjoying the camaraderie that bowls brings. It was terrific to see such strong community spirit, with plenty of laughs shared along the way. Importantly, the visit also provided a valuable chance to discuss matters important to the community. These conversations are vital to ensuring regional voices are heard and well represented. I thank everyone who made the trip for their enthusiasm and good humour, and for contributing to such an enjoyable day. I look forward to taking them up on their kind, yet competitive offer of a return match on their home turf in the near future. Tim McCurdy, Nationals MP for Ovens Valley Ag industry hung out to dry in EU deal Local farmers have been sold out and will be the big losers in a newly minted free-trade agreement signed between Australia and the European Union (EU). It was clear the EU and Australia’s competitors had run rings around our negotiating team, with no improvement secured on the deal Australia rejected three years ago. It’s pretty embarrassing. For farmers, no deal would have been better than what we’ve been dealt. At a time when farmers are getting smashed by devastating water buybacks and skyrocketing fuel and fertiliser costs, we’ve been hung out to dry for the sake of getting the deal done. The deal could see many local farmers impacted negatively. Australian agriculture is a net-exporter and the market access numbers simply don’t stack up. Beef access is a third of what industry was seeking and for sheep meat, New Zealand got five times more. This puts us at the back of the pack going forward and at a disadvantage. For our dairy farmers, it’s largely a one-way deal. The EU already exports $980 million of dairy into Australia, with only $29 million going back. It’s a hard pill to swallow for the country’s largest dairy producing state. Consumers could also be set to pay more at the checkout for dairy. This move slugs Aussie brands with harmful geographical indicators, that will confuse Australian shoppers and cost them more. With greater competition from international brands, shoppers could lose access to the buy the local brands they know and love. We’re a $100 billion industry that directly employs hundreds of thousands of people. To be offered up as a bargaining chip is bitterly disappointing. Brett Hosking, Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) president The Australian idea that sparked a global climate movement On 28 March at 8.30pm, WWF-Australia will mark 20 years since Earth Hour started in Sydney, a local initiative that helped spark global awareness and action on climate change and nature loss. Two decades on, Earth Hour is the world’s largest grass-roots environmental movement, inspiring millions to take part and driving conservation outcomes around the world. Projects include restoring and reconnecting Koala habitats, tracking whale migration routes, and protecting marine environments. This year, iconic Aussie landmarks including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Brisbane’s Story Bridge, Melbourne’s AAMI Park, The Wheel of Brisbane and Perth’s Bell Tower will switch off, joining millions globally in a moment of action for the planet. Earth Hour began here in Australia and has grown into a worldwide moment of action for nature. It shows the power of people coming together to stand up for the places and species we all depend on. Every hour matters for our planet. In the time it takes to go for a morning walk, we could lose forests, hundreds of native mammals and release thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gases. Earth Hour is a reminder that when people act together, we can create real change. People can learn more and get involved at earthhour.org.au. Rachael Lance, WWF-Australia’s head of supporter mobilisation
