WA Agriculture Minister blames ‘short notice’ for no-show at farmers’ crisis meeting

WA Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis has defended her decision not to attend a crisis meeting in Katanning later this month amid mounting backlash from farmers over controversial Labor policies. “I received the invitation at short notice and due to several competing commitments on that day that can’t be moved, I cannot attend,” Ms Jarvis said in an emailed statement to Countryman on Tuesday. “I am committed to continuing to fight for the best possible outcome for our sheep industry in WA.” WAFarmers will host the July 24 meeting, which will focus primarily on Federal Labor’s impending live sheep export ban and the roll-out of WA’s new Aboriginal cultural heritage laws. Countryman initially reported Ms Jarvis’ non-attendance in an online report last Thursday, prompting a wave of criticism from farmers on social media. Woogenellup farmer Mark Adams took to Twitter, writing “all West Australian farmers should send an email to Jackie Jarvis ASAP and insist on her attendance”. “All her other commitments can wait, but we cannot,” Mr Adams wrote. “I’m sure she won’t change her mind based on my request but maybe if more farmers do the same she might consider it.” Ms Jarvis said she had had “more than 20 meetings with WA sheep producers and agricultural industry bodies since becoming Minister” to discuss the future of the live sheep trade. “Including as recently as today, when I met with Geoff Pearson, livestock section president of WAFarmers,” she said. “Agricultural industry groups, including the PGA (Pastoralists and Graziers Association) and WAFF, were also involved in the co-design of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act and as such, the agriculture sector is the least impacted by the changes under the new like-for-like exemption, which was introduced with farmers in mind. “This means everything land users were already doing is permitted under the new Act. “It has been unlawful to harm Aboriginal cultural heritage in WA for more than 50 years and this has not changed under the new Act. “Rather, the process has been made simpler and fairer.” Ms Jarvis said WAFarmers had also been invited to participate in the State Government’s cross-sector implementation group “to assist with the introduction of the new Act”. WAFarmers chief executive Trevor Whittington has been appointed to the group, which meets for the first time on Friday. “I am aware that my ministerial colleague Dr Tony Buti is (also) meeting with the WA Farmers Federation Council next week,” Ms Jarvis said. Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt has also been invited to the Katanning meeting.