Dissenting Report by Senator Bob Brown
The Committee has acknowledged the absurdity of growers
waiting until 2028 for repayment of the Iraq wheat debt – few will be farming
and the majority will be dead.
It fails the same
logic to recommend that growers wait until 2011. Some will have already left
and a number will have already died.
The recommendations
would have been more logical and fairer as follows:
Recommendation one:
The government
should within 12 months undertake to repay growers the outstanding Iraq wheat
debt and to cover the cost of this redistribution.
Recommendation two:
That the Export
Finance and Insurance Corporation and
AWB Ltd ensure that the first 20 per cent of Paris
Club scheduled payments, beginning in 2011, are returned to the government.
Recommendation three:
That, to assist the
government, the AWB Ltd immediately commence the process of identifying and
locating every grower entitled to receive payments made by Iraq under the Paris
Club agreement.
Senator Bob Brown
Australian Greens
Navigation: Previous Page | Contents | Next Page