Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 3 November 2016.)

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:23): I thank the members for MacKillop and Flinders, and the Hon. David Ridgway in the other place for bringing this bill to the parliament. As I said in my previous contribution, the purpose of this bill is to create a legally enforceable bank mediation mechanism for primary producers. With regard to the mediation, it is a structured negotiation process where the mediator, as a neutral and independent person, assists the farmer and the creditor in attempting to reach agreement on the present arrangements and future conduct of financial relations between them.

I note that in this state there is no legally enforceable bank mediation mechanism for primary producers. As has been stated, primary producers can come up against many hurdles in the running of their business, not the least of which is on the front of the Stock Journal today where the strong storm moved through the Murraylands and threw field bins on top of each other out at the Herrmanns' property at Perponda.

I note that the member for Waite, when speaking to this bill, made the argument that this is a problem that does not require a solution. I believe it is a problem that requires a solution. I am off the land. My family have been on the land since 1840 when they came out to this state. If the government are serious about our clean and green image and the future prosperity of our farmers, as they keep stating they are, they need to support this legislation to show that their words are not just noise in the background. I commend the bill.

The house divided on the second reading:

Ayes 21

Noes 23

Majority 2

AYES

Bell, T.S.
Brock, G.G.
Chapman, V.A.
Duluk, S.
Gardner, J.A.W.
Goldsworthy, R.M.
Griffiths, S.P.
Knoll, S.K.
McFetridge, D.
Pederick, A.S.
Pengilly, M.R.
Pisoni, D.G.
Redmond, I.M.
Sanderson, R.
Speirs, D.
Tarzia, V.A.
Treloar, P.A. (teller)
van Holst Pellekaan, D.C.
Whetstone, T.J.
Williams, M.R.
Wingard, C.

NOES

Bedford, F.E.
Bettison, Z.L.
Bignell, L.W.K.
Caica, P.
Close, S.E.
Cook, N.F.
Gee, J.P.
Hamilton-Smith, M.L.J.
Hildyard, K.
Hughes, E.J.
Kenyon, T.R. (teller)
Key, S.W.
Koutsantonis, A.
Mullighan, S.C.
Odenwalder, L.K.
Piccolo, A.
Picton, C.J.
Rankine, J.M.
Rau, J.R.
Snelling, J.J.
Vlahos, L.A.
Weatherill, J.W.
Wortley, D.

Second reading thus negatived.