Mr BEAZLEY (3:17 PM) —My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Minister, do you recall yesterday describing Labor's dairy industry policy, including my support for the farmers' call for a national dairy summit, as a `talkfest'? Are you aware that yesterday your Queensland National Party colleague the opposition leader Mike Horan supported my call for a national dairy summit, saying that a meeting of all those involved in the dairy industry, including the farmers, processors and major purchasers, could work through the problem together? Minister, given the mess that you have made of dairy deregulation, isn't it time that you did yet another backflip, listened to the dairy farmers and joined with me and your National Party colleagues in looking for a solution to your mess?

Honourable members interjecting—

Mr SPEAKER —Minister for Forestry and Conservation! Deputy Prime Minister! The same constraint I expect from the Leader of the Opposition I expect from all other frontbench holders.

Mr TRUSS (Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) —I am aware of the comments referred to by the Leader of the Opposition. I have even read his scant dairy policy, which of course offers absolutely no hope to dairy farmers anywhere in Australia. Perhaps one of the worst features of his proposal is to strip away the assistance that this government has already provided to dairy communities through the Dairy Regional Adjustment Program and to therefore deny the opportunity to provide alternative jobs to the people of Gloucester, in the electorate of the member for Paterson, whose dairy factory has closed. He seeks to remove the capacity to provide additional funds in my electorate, where the dairy factory at Monto has closed, or in the electorate of Dawson, where the factory in Mackay has closed. What the people in these areas need to know is that it is Labor's policy to provide no assistance to those regional communities. All they are talking about is yet another talkfest. Labor members have been wandering around, endeavouring to glean from local communities cases that they can raise in parliament where there have been problems, but the reality is that they have no answers.

I have had a large number of meetings with dairy industry leaders. I have met with processors, I have met with retailers and I have met with all of the district organisations. In his question, the Leader of the Opposition referred to Mr Horan, the National Party leader in Queensland, but he is now not in the least bit interested in hearing the answer. He has turned his back on the facts in the same way that he turns his back on the dairy industry. He could not care less about the dairy farmers of Australia; he turns his back on the issue. He could not care less. I think that this is a shameful way to treat the people of Australia and particularly the dairy farmers. Mr Horan has organised a number of meetings with the dairy industry and has put together a plan, which was put to the people of Queensland at the last election. In my discussions with them, I have to say that the industry leaders have expressed no desire whatsoever to have a roundtable conference of the nature referred to by the Leader of the Opposition. Indeed, the proposal has been specifically rejected by them. I therefore will be working individually with the parties to seek to establish resolutions to the many issues involved. This government will take a responsive and sympathetic approach to the needs of the dairy farmers—something that the Leader of the Opposition will never do.