PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has used a tour of Bulla Dairy Foods in Colac to shout about the Australian dairy industry’s improved profitability opportunities driven by trade agreements his government signed off last year.
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But the embattled Coalition leader was also forced to address ongoing questioning about his future and decision-making capacity, sparked by him controversially awarding a knighthood to Prince Philip earlier this week.
Mr Abbott said Bulla was a great Australian success story and 100-year-old family business which had recently expanded dramatically, in large part to take advantage of Australia’s growing exports markets.
He said Bulla was exporting products to more than 20 countries around the world including big markets in Asia and would, “benefit enormously from the free trade agreements (FTAs) that this government has secured”.
Mr Abbott said Australian dairy exports to China would soon achieve tariff eliminations that would produce a 10 to 19 per cent price advantage.
“This is very, very good news for jobs — ultimately it’s good news for families and it’s good news for jobs and for families from the Abbott government,” he said.
However, media questioning highlighted ongoing criticism of Mr Abbott’s knighthood decision which has subsequently raised doubt over his leadership credentials.
Asked if he would lead the government into the next election Mr Abbott said, “absolutely”.
In reference to Prince Philip’s knighthood, he said he “absolutely” accepted there was “a bit of dismay over a call I made earlier this week”.
“I accept that, I respect the right of people to disagree with me,” he said. “I understand, but look, others might be distracted by this — I’m not.”
Liberal MP for Corangamite Sarah Henderson stood by her leader’s side and highlighted the FTA’s benefits for dairy, food processors across the region and “so importantly for our farmers”.
Bulla Dairy Foods chief executive officer Allan Hood — just two weeks into the top job at the south-west Victorian manufacturer — admitted he was excited the PM had chosen his Colac factory to discuss the future advantages of Australia’s FTA with China.
Mr Hood said the China FTA would play a big role in helping his company reach its goal of increasing dairy exports from 5 per cent currently, to 20 per cent over the next three to five years. Bulla has a partnership in place with Australian Dairy Farmers Co-operative (ADFC) to secure milk supply in the south-west.
Last year, the company invested $7 million in a new milk separation plant at one of its Colac factories, which Mr Hood said would allow them to produce butterfat and hopefully expand their product range in the future.
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