Dear Editor,
Daniel Andrews has turned his back on Victorian producers.
China’s unjustified decision to impose an 80 per cent tariff on Australian barley threatens Victorian
jobs and our state’s economy.
It clearly shows the cracks in Daniel Andrews’ secret Belt and Road deal with Beijing.
Victorian farmers are being smashed by Chinese government imposed tariffs, but Daniel Andrews is
still moving ahead with final stage negotiations to shore up his cosy relationship with China.
The Belt and Road initiative is a key pillar of China’s economic and foreign policy which sees
Chinese companies paid to build Victorian infrastructure.
It also claims to promote “trade development and market access…especially for agricultural
products”.
But the tariffs on barley show this deal is all one-way traffic that’s running over the top of Victorian
farmers.
Rather than increasing our reliance on China, the State Government should be investing additional
resources in our Victorian trade offices in Indonesia and India to expand our global presence by
June 2021.
It’s a positive step forward we can take to strengthen Victoria’s economic base and get Victorians
back to work and back in business after coronavirus restrictions are eased.
Peter Walsh
Leader of The Nationals
Shadow Minister for Agriculture
Peter Walsh MP
Member for Murray Plains
