THE race for power in the next Victorian parliament is almost over. Dannika Bonser sat down with Jacinta Allan, who has held the shadow agriculture portfolio for just under a year and is a possible contender to carry the baton for Victorian agriculture on a world stage for the next four years, to discuss some of the key issues affecting Victorian farmers.
Jacinta Allan
Jacinta Allan is defending her seat of Bendigo East at Saturday's State election and is a likely contender
Ms Allan grew up not far from her electorate office in Bendigo East.
The mother of two has won her past four election campaigns and was the Minister for Regional and Rural Development in 2006-10.
She has held the shadow agriculture portfolio for just under a year.
Markets for the future
The Labor opposition says the State's resources to market Victorian produce aren't being taken advantage of.
"Victoria has a really strong network of overseas officers who I think can be better utilised.
"Some of the commodity groups are already tapped into that and we have to look at how we can get producers at all levels to recognise that the Victorian government business officers - whether they're in Shanghai or Malaysia - are all there to be used by the primary producers.
"Part of our role, I see, is unlocking those resources to help people get into those markets.
"I've herd of producers not even trying to get into the export market because they think it's too hard."
Coal-seam gas (CSG)
"We've made it clear the moratorium will stay in place until there is a proper consultative process put in place."
Ms Allan criticised the report commissioned by the Napthine government and led by former federal Liberal politician Peter Reith as being biased toward the industry and selective in its consultation with community members who would be affected by the industry.
"We moved to have a parliamentary inquiry in CSG, which was rejected by this government.
"We want to have genuine and real community consultation.
"We would not act until we have the benefit of research and the benefit of community views."
Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI)
Despite industry talk of Labor wanting to split the newly consolidated DEPI, Ms Allan would not state what Labor would do with the department should her party win government.
"One of our first priorities with the department would be to assess the damage that's been done over the past four years with the significant levels of staff cuts and budget cuts that the department has had on it, which has meant I've heard constantly about how people are frustrated about how it doesn't provide the level of service that it used to.
"I am less about the machinery of government than about making sure the department is there to serve the rural communities and farmers and is doing its job appropriately."
See this week's Stock & Land for more State election coverage.
Dannika Bonser
Journalist for Stock & Land.
Journalist for Stock & Land.
