http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/national/13900815/joyce-dragging-us-back-to-1950s-emerson/

Trade Minister Craig Emerson has dismissed Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce's concerns about food security in the wake of a Chinese bid for Australia farmland, as an attempt to drag Australia back to the 1950s.

Craig Emerson said Australia should not shun foreign investment in agriculture.

"Put the walls up... back to the 1950s that's what you get with Barnaby Joyce and Tony Abbott," Dr Emerson told the ABC.

Queensland Senator Barnaby Joyce has raised questions about whether Dr Emerson is favouring a Chinese bid to take over the Ord River irrigation scheme in the West Australian Kimberley region because his former boss Bob Hawke is reportedly representing Chinese firm Shanghai Zhongfu.

He rejected accusations of xenophobia and says local companies should be given priority.

Senator Joyce said "state-owned enterprise investment" should considered differently to investments by individuals because they were "arms of another nation's government."

"If you have another nation's government becoming a large scale owner of land in your country are you going to create confusions for yourself in the future," he told ABC radio.

He said Australia should not be naive about potential future disputes with foreign governments over Australian farmland.

Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing 89 per cent of agricultural land was Australian-owned were wrong, Senator Joyce said.

"If you have two peach trees and a couple of rabbits, they will call you a farmer," he said.
"It's a manipulation of the figures."

So what happens if we need the farms back, will china wage war to keep its farm land in Australia?

"Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing 89 per cent of agricultural land was Australian-owned were wrong, Senator Joyce said."

And Barnaby Joyce's knowledge and skillsets to make this statement are?

lisa.greek wrote on Jun 8^th, 2012 at 8:59am:

"Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing 89 per cent of agricultural land was Australian-owned were wrong, Senator Joyce said." And Barnaby Joyce's knowledge and skillsets to make this statement are?

"If you have two peach trees and a couple of rabbits, they will call you a farmer," he said.

"It's a manipulation of the figures."

BlOoDy RiPpEr wrote on Jun 8^th, 2012 at 8:59am:

So what happens if we need the farms back, will china wage war to keep its farm land in Australia?

Based on what the Chinese Military was asking Stephen Smith yesterday - it looks like war

lisa.greek wrote on Jun 8^th, 2012 at 8:59am:

"Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing 89 per cent of agricultural land was Australian-owned were wrong, Senator Joyce said." And Barnaby Joyce's knowledge and skillsets to make this statement are?

Unlike Joe, he can count past eleventy.

The "selling the farm" syndrome is by NO MEANS one that began with the present Government
It began in - and was nurtured by ALL governments - for the bulk of the 20th century

ONE leader - in ALL of those decades - vocally and actively OPPOSED it

... and look at what we thought of his "socialist" agenda for future generations




FOREIGN INVESTMENT

Rural industries no longer hold the dominating position in Australia’s export trade that they once did.
But they have been traditionally and overwhelmingly the industries which Australians have controlled, industries from which Australians – all Australians – have derived the benefit and profit, and industries for which Australians – all Australians – have shared the burden in times of hardship and difficulty.

Now, the most profitable and significant of Australia’s industries and resources are under foreign control.
Sir John McEwen described this process as selling a bit of the farm year by year to pay our way.
Mr McMahon, more than any other Liberal, prevented any effort to limit foreign investment in those years.
More than any other Australian, Mr McMahon bears the responsibility for Australia “selling the farm”.
But in truth, it has not been the “farm” which has been sold – not the industries like wheat or wool or fruit or dairying or gold, the industries which have faced the crisis and hardships of recent years. It is the strongest and richest of our own industries and services which have been bought up from overseas.

It’s time to stop the great takeover of Australia.
But more important, it’s time to start buying Australia back.
A Labor Government will enable Australia and ordinary Australians to take part in the ownership, development and use of Australian industries and resources.

It’s Time: Whitlam’s 1972 Election Policy Speech


http://whitlamdismissal.com/1972/11/13/whitlam-1972-election-policy-speech.html








If ONLY ...







Had Whitlam's vision been realised, we wouldn't be divided as a nation on the pros and cons of the minerals super profits tax

The Australian mining sector would be OWNED, 100%, by 20 million Australian share-holders

buzzanddidj wrote on Jun 8^th, 2012 at 10:21am:

The "selling the farm" syndrome is by NO MEANS one that began with the present Government It began in - and was nurtured by ALL governments - for the bulk of the 20th century ONE leader - in ALL of those decades - vocally and actively OPPOSED it ... and look at what we thought of his "socialist" agenda for future generations FOREIGN INVESTMENT Rural industries no longer hold the dominating position in Australia’s export trade that they once did. But they have been traditionally and overwhelmingly the industries which Australians have controlled, industries from which Australians – all Australians – have derived the benefit and profit, and industries for which Australians – all Australians – have shared the burden in times of hardship and difficulty. Now, the most profitable and significant of Australia’s industries and resources are under foreign control. Sir John McEwen described this process as selling a bit of the farm year by year to pay our way. Mr McMahon, more than any other Liberal, prevented any effort to limit foreign investment in those years. More than any other Australian, Mr McMahon bears the responsibility for Australia “selling the farm”. But in truth, it has not been the “farm” which has been sold – not the industries like wheat or wool or fruit or dairying or gold, the industries which have faced the crisis and hardships of recent years. It is the strongest and richest of our own industries and services which have been bought up from overseas. It’s time to stop the great takeover of Australia. But more important, it’s time to start buying Australia back. A Labor Government will enable Australia and ordinary Australians to take part in the ownership, development and use of Australian industries and resources. It’s Time: Whitlam’s 1972 Election Policy Speech http://whitlamdismissal.com/1972/11/13/whitlam-1972-election-policy-speech.html If ONLY ... Had Whitlam's vision been realised, we wouldn't be divided as a nation on the pros and cons of the minerals super profits tax The Australian mining sector would be OWNED, 100%, by 20 million Australian share-holders

Nope, don't see how thats relevant - labor has been flat out selling the farm since Hawke came into office and Gillard can't speed up the process enough, so you have no case to argue for Gillard or labor here.  Gillard is a nutcase turning this country into one soulless socialist economic machine that will never stop.  Endless meaningless socialist reform and engineering and remaking of our country and destabilizing lives for its own sake. You off shored your industries, now offshore yourselves from my country, we have no use for you here. :-X :P

Prevailing wrote on Jun 8^th, 2012 at 11:03am:

buzzanddidj wrote on Jun 8th, 2012 at 10:21am: The "selling the farm" syndrome is by NO MEANS one that began with the present Government It began in - and was nurtured by ALL governments - for the bulk of the 20th century ONE leader - in ALL of those decades - vocally and actively OPPOSED it ... and look at what we thought of his "socialist" agenda for future generations FOREIGN INVESTMENT Rural industries no longer hold the dominating position in Australia’s export trade that they once did. But they have been traditionally and overwhelmingly the industries which Australians have controlled, industries from which Australians – all Australians – have derived the benefit and profit, and industries for which Australians – all Australians – have shared the burden in times of hardship and difficulty. Now, the most profitable and significant of Australia’s industries and resources are under foreign control. Sir John McEwen described this process as selling a bit of the farm year by year to pay our way. Mr McMahon, more than any other Liberal, prevented any effort to limit foreign investment in those years. More than any other Australian, Mr McMahon bears the responsibility for Australia “selling the farm”. But in truth, it has not been the “farm” which has been sold – not the industries like wheat or wool or fruit or dairying or gold, the industries which have faced the crisis and hardships of recent years. It is the strongest and richest of our own industries and services which have been bought up from overseas. It’s time to stop the great takeover of Australia. But more important, it’s time to start buying Australia back. A Labor Government will enable Australia and ordinary Australians to take part in the ownership, development and use of Australian industries and resources. It’s Time: Whitlam’s 1972 Election Policy Speech http://whitlamdismissal.com/1972/11/13/whitlam-1972-election-policy-speech.html If ONLY ... Had Whitlam's vision been realised, we wouldn't be divided as a nation on the pros and cons of the minerals super profits tax The Australian mining sector would be OWNED, 100%, by 20 million Australian share-holders Nope, don't see how thats relevant - labor has been flat out selling the farm since Hawke came into office ... ( ... not to mention COALITION governments - PRE-Hawke) -buzz ... and Gillard can't speed up the process enough, so you have no case to argue for Gillard or labor here.

Nor DID I

I was PRAISING the much maligned WHITLAM

Whitlam wanted to sell the farm and live off the mining industries back while turning Australia into a quarry, you people do not get it because you are driven by an insanity called greed. :P

And lets face it, neither whitlam, nor Gillard, nor Abbott, nor Howard believe those mining minerals belong equally to all Australians - they believe they belong to the citizens of the world...the best and the brightest, the aristocracy, the ruling class, the English Queen - get out of my country. :P

buzz thinks that the Minerals Resources Tax is actually about redistribution of wealth!!!  :D :D :D :D

It's about Labor trying to pay down a $300B Government debt caused by their incompetence

We didn't have a resource tax before and GDP doubled during the Howard era - yet now we need it?