18 February 2025. Michael Guerin, AgForce CEO.
In the past week of Federal Parliament, the National Farmers Federation (NFF) scored four significant wins.
The Biosecurity Protection Levy was scrapped, the Super Tax blocked, the controversial Nature Positive legislation was dumped (for now), and the Australia-United Arab Emirates Free Trade Agreement received bi-partisan support.
At the same time, the powerful grass roots campaign from the 'Keep The Sheep' campaign has continued to have an impact by forcing the conversation to remain in political discourse - despite some politicians hopes for otherwise.
These victories for strong progress do not come overnight. Nor are they a cosmic fluke. They are the direct result of long-form work and advocacy, but importantly, they usually come when we are united, and work together as an industry lobby.
AgForce is a State Farming Organisation and Queensland delegate to the National Farmers Federation. We are a proud member of the NFF family and use our influence to ensure that Queensland voice is heard strongly in Canberra as well as in the State Parliament.
In the next short while, Australia will face a federal election. There are clear differences emerging across many issues important to our industry and to rural regions of Australia. Voters will need to consider these carefully when choosing how to cast their vote.
The NFF family at any moment will launch its federal election platform and start to provide talking points, social media tiles and other material for AgForce and indeed all of us to use.
What will make a crucial difference is how strongly we all engage with that material, and how many conversations we can have, telling our story to Australians before they cast their vote.
We know we have so much to offer across areas such as food security, strengthened environmental and landscape outcomes, regional development, and export earnings just to name a few. All of us individually doing what we can - will make a difference.
If not now - when. Be it the continuation of the Live Sheep Trade by sea, or fair and fundamental reform of the EPBC Act as examples - there is much to fight for.
