No meetings with farming groups for Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins during WA cabinet visit
Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins has been slammed for failing to meet with farming groups during a Cabinet visit to WA this week.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was expected to host his new-look Cabinet to WA this week, marking its first trip west since Labor’s landslide election win in May.
Ms Collins’ office told the Countryman that the Agriculture Minister would visit WA as part of the Cabinet visit, but said there would be no chance for a media interview or photograph due to a tight schedule.
A spokeswoman for Ms Collins said the Agriculture Minister would hold multiple meetings across her portfolio, including with forestry and viticulture stakeholders, while visiting WA but declined to specify exactly who.
Ms Collins’ office also declined to say if the Minister would be meeting with any agricultural stakeholders or farmers.
WAFarmers president Steve McGuire and chief executive Trevor Whittington confirmed the organisation had received no contact from Ms Collins’ office.
Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA president Tony Seabrook said he had heard “zilch” from Ms Collins’ office regarding her WA visit.
“How dare they? We are the only two organisations in WA (PGA and WAFarmers) and they won’t even talk to us,” he said.
“We produce the food that you eat, we export enough food overseas to feed another 40 or 50 million people and you won’t talk to us — you won’t even acknowledge that we exist.”
Ms Collins retained her portfolio as Agriculture Minister following a shake-up in Labor’s second term ministry following the May 3 election.
The Tasmanian MP has held the seat of Franklin since 2007 and was announced as Agriculture Minister in July, 2024, taking over from Queensland senator Anthony Chisholm.
She has been re-elected five times and has previously held shadow ministry positions for employment services, ageing and mental health, and women.
Ms Collins’ last visited WA in October where she announced an additional $32.7 million as part of a $139 million package to assist farmers transition away from the live sheep export.
Her request during the previous trip to visit a live sheep export feedlot in Peel was rejected by the owners.
The WA visit is Mr Albanese’s 35th visit since taking the top job as Prime Minister in 2022, and the third time he has brought his cabinet to Perth.
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