Thursday, 15 August 2019

 Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:51): My constituency question is to the Minister for Agriculture, and it relates to the unfair treatment being fed and milked out about cows, and consequently their meat-producing owners, in my electorate of Western Victoria Region. It seems that these much-maligned cows have replaced coal as the evil agents responsible for global warming, climate emergencies and more hot air than this place could ever generate. For the benefit of the non-farmers, cows actually add to the productive capacity of pastures, including grain crops, through their natural fertiliser. I know some in this place would have us not eat meat but, à la Marie Antoinette, ‘Eat grass, not cake’ should not be the order of the day. So I ask the minister: what is she doing to ensure the future of all the cows and their owners in the dairy and beef industry in this state and particularly in the electorate of Western Victoria Region?