Media Releases

After loudly declaring war on locusts, John Brumby’s bumbling attempts to marshal his troops has shades of Dad’s Army attached to it.
The Premier has taken on the mantle of Field Marshal and is making a great show of leading his troops into battle, despite a total lack of preparation and planning.
When I called for action last October, the government refused to acknowledge locusts were a problem and accused the Liberal Nationals Coalition of ‘scaremongering’.
Seven months later, after the enemy broke through the trenches, the Premier admitted we were being invaded and declared war on the pests.
But farmers, the frontline troops in John Brumby’s ‘war on locusts’, have been left exposed and ill-equipped by the Premier’s backseat bumblers.
The planning and implementation of this so-called war has been a complete disaster.
One day we have Field Marshal Brumby and Sergeant Joe No-Helper telling their troops to buy their own ammunition. (Don’t panic, they’ll reimburse them later – at least for the chemicals they use).
The next they are telling their army to hold fire because they’re not quite sure what kind of ammunition they should purchase.
Field Marshal Brumby and Sergeant Joe No-Helper have again proven themselves incapable of leading the charge.
Chemical manufacturers need farmers to order spray now so the right chemicals can be manufactured. Contrary to what Brumby’s bumblers seem to think, chemicals in the quantities required will not be available at a moment’s notice.
In order to eliminate wastage and unnecessary expense for those on the ground, the government should heed the Coalition’s calls and purchase and distribute the spray we need for this ‘war’ now.
If it doesn’t, the Field Marshal and the Sergeant might find their army planning a mutiny at the November election.