FARMERS have voiced their opposition to the Palaszczuk government’s new vegetation management laws in a major protest outside Parliament House in Brisbane this morning.
Chanting ‘Don’t Trad on me’, ‘Go away Palaszczuk’, ‘Fair laws for farmers’, and ‘We feed you, we need you’ the 1000 strong crowd carrying placards demanding Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk bring a halt to new laws, which farmers say will cripple the growth of agriculture in Queensland.
The protest was timed to coincide with the resumption of parliament today.
The chanting could be heard in the nearby parliamentary chamber where the 93 Queensland MPs were seated.
However, farmers hold out little hope of a reprieve. Ms Palaszczuk has repeatedly said the controversial legislation would be passed as the new laws represented an election commitment. The protest also followed the rubber stamping of the laws by the Labor members of a parliamentary review committee.
The protest was led by AgForce president Grant Maudsley and Injune beef producer Justin MacDonnell.
Mr Maudsley said even if the laws were passed in parliament this week, the fight would continue.
“We’ll continue until we achieve a fair go for farmers,” Mr Maudsley said.
“We might not win it this week, or even next month, but we’ll keep going until we have laws that are backed by science and common sense.
“Farmers are angry they are being treated with contempt. This is just the start of the fight.”
Other speakers included National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson, Queensland Farmers Federation president Stuart Armitage, Central Queensland beef producer Josie Angus, and Cape York farmers Luke and Ally Quartermaine.
Adding fuel to the fire was a billboard truck funded by the extreme green movement, promoting the message that deforestation had resulted in more than 14.5 million native animals being killed in Queensland this year.
That truck, which attempted to park in a turning lane just before the protest started, was quickly covered by placards held up by the protesting farmers. The truck was then moved on by police to the delight of the crowd.
The vegetation debate is expected to dominate the three day sitting of parliament this week.