Mark McGowan says he was ‘not aware of any visit, by any panel’ when quizzed about live export support

Mark McGowan has been labelled “out of touch” with issues affecting agriculture after admitting he was “not aware of any visit, by any advisory panel” when asked about the Federal Government’s live export phase out consultation panel’s recent visit to WA. The WA Premier was put on the spot in State Parliament on May 9, when Roe MLA Peter Rundle — a Katanning farmer — asked whether he had made any contact with the Federal Agriculture Minister regarding the four-person panel’s visit to WA. More than 1000 farmers turned out to in-person consultation sessions in WA late last month, but the panel and the Federal Government were criticised by the agriculture industry for failing to give adequate notice that the sessions were being held. The visit, and concerns over the lack of engagement with industry, have dominated headlines in rural newspapers in recent weeks. “I am not aware of any visit by any advisory panel, I passed on my views to the Federal Minister some months ago,” Mr McGowan said, referring to earlier comments throwing his support behind the live export industry. However, when asked when he would “stand up and be counted”, given his prior support of the industry, Mr McGowan replied that Mr Rundle had asked him the “same question” on multiple occasions. “He is asking me exactly the same questions he asked me before the break,” Mr McGowan said, before going on to talk about fighting for WA’s fair share of GST after securing 70¢ in the dollar, raising to 75¢ in the dollar next year. Mr McGowan was not the only WA politician left blindsided by the consultation panel’s visit to WA, with WA Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis telling Countryman last month she had not been told about the visit either. However, the panel had planned the consultation meetings to be small group sessions with farming groups in WA — rather than the large-scale, town hall-style meetings they turned into once word of the sessions got out. The four-person panel — gathering feedback for Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt on how and when to shut down the trade — was widely criticised last month after making a five-day visit to WA for private meetings with “targeted gatherings” of stakeholders. Details were leaked about 48 hours before the first gathering at Moora Recreation Centre, with about 80 local farmers downing tools in the middle of seeding to storm the meeting. Subsequent meetings were held at York, Narrogin, Wagin, Katanning, Cranbrook, Albany and Esperance, with Mr Glyde estimating more than 1000 farmers attended in total. Mr Rundle said he was “appalled” the Premier wasn’t aware of the visit from the panel, even after its roadshow wrapped up. “We have had substantial publicity of this tour throughout it across the regional areas of the state,” he said. “It is disappointing. . . we are talking about people’s livelihoods. “There has been plenty of publicity on this visit, I would have thought the Premier’s office would have informed him. “It demonstrates he’s out of touch with agriculture and the regions aren’t that high on his priority.”