Good evening.
It’s wonderful to see so many faces I know, who leave their tractors at harvesting, and farms and stations, to join us year after year for this important day, National Agriculture and Related Industries Day.
And a warm welcome too to every person joining us for the first time, for our National Day.
Thank you to our wonderful sponsors who help make tonight possible, at Australia’s premiere winery, Penfolds. What a delightful place to enjoy our National Ag Day.
We want all of you to enjoy immensely!
Since I saw you last, I’ve been across to the USA election, yes, a billion dollars spent by the Democrats, huge amount, these dollars financed a rather dirty campaign by them unfortunately, but then I’m not fond of lies and misrepresentations.
The left using entertainment celebrities, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, etc, even using or misusing legal tactics tying up President Trump in a New York court, New York being a city and state with a very high percent of Democrats, making him attend court personally every day, preventing him from raising funds, electioneering and addressing his huge incredible rallies until the last 60 days.
Yet despite the Republicans only spending about one fifth of what the socialists spent, and the much bigger left media misreporting, misreporting and misreporting against President Trump, the hate Trump campaign, which saw the President shot and another attempt on his life, on his Florida golf course, Trump and his loyal sons, also threatened and facing huge legal costs against them too, the team Trumps’ incredible efforts prevailed.
In the last week I was told by the campaign manager for the marginal seats, who followed the President as he spoke to hundreds of thousands of Americans usually at three or four rallies a day, their immediate team got about eight hours sleep, the President less.
The Trumps courageously stood up, their conviction, genuineness and patriotism shone through, and the American people overwhelmingly chose.
They chose to kick out the socialists, big time, and along with it Bideneconomics, socialist policies are never good for economies or for living standards.
The left media continue, ohh do they continue!
I heard one commenting it was a different social media campaign that saw Trump and the Republicans sweep in. What nonsense.
Trump and his fine sons, and fantastic daughter in law Lara too, reminded the Americans what Trump stood for, what he had achieved when in office, albeit somewhat limited by covid, by cutting government tape, regulations and taxes.
His presidential record included, 10 million people lifted off welfare, better wages for the disadvantaged, blacks, Hispanics and women, and taking responsibly his prime duty to the American people, keeping them safe, building up the military, respecting the military, veterans and police, and restricting the flow of illegal immigrants across the borders.
All republicans running knew the courageous platform they were running on with him.
As Trump says, “making America strong again”.
His record in comparison to Kamala’s Bidens, well it sure was different, trumps record benefitted all Americans outside of that swamp that he started to drain and outside of the lobby groups who wanted their snouts in the taxpayer’s trough, and outside of the noisy minority activists, his record shone!
In short, his record benefitted the vast majority of Americans, his dedication genuine to make America safe again, make America great again, and that’s why he achieved the popular vote and swept in.
Not a different social media strategy!
The left media and their followers continue to cause concern, e.g. President Trump’s tariff policies will ignite trade wars, and cause economic uncertainty throughout America and the world.
They seem to overlook, that USA has free trade agreements with more than 14 countries, including significantly, Canada, South Korea and Australia.
Travelling in the states very recently, I was shocked by the actual problem of the change in costs for groceries and other household necessities thanks to Bideneconomics, heard stories of elderly people coming to the supermarket checkout, finding the cost was higher than they were used to, and having to go without the items, returning items to shelves as they couldn’t afford.
Not so surprised given Biden/Kamala’s green, wrongly called sustainable energy policies, let’s try to remember, the sun doesn’t always shine on solar panels, and the wind doesn’t always blow, intermittent and unreliable electricity are more accurate terms, of the consequent rise in electricity prices and the cost of fuel at the petrol pump, both of which cost increases effect everything else.
I heard how uni students are beginning to turn away from the socialist propaganda they’ve had as miseducation over decades and instead think about how they can afford all this plus higher rent prices or even how can they afford to put aside money to save for a home, or even marry and be able to have a family.
Yes, many were surprised to see the younger voters turn away from high-cost big government and socialism.
Of course, the increased problems of crime, given the border fiasco, influx of hardened criminals, rapists, murderers, and illegals taking over blacks and legal Hispanic immigrants’ jobs.
Terribly sad what Kamala especially has caused to the victims and families where their children were savagely raped, or family members cruelly killed by these illegal immigrants.
What President-elect Trump achieved was far far far from easy to do, he had to fight untruths and quote “fight fight fight”.
He gave it his all.
Well, Australia has issues like this too, record business failures, investment choosing to vacate Australia as it’s become too difficult to start projects or even extend them, agriculture gets harder and harder with the onerous and growing burden of government and policies not at all friendly to agriculture and its survival, ditto not friendly to the major revenue earner, the mining industry either, electricity and fuel prices laden with excise duty and rising which effects the costs of everything, thanks to the same green ideology.
Yet our pensioners, veterans, uni students and marginally disabled kept unnecessarily in terrible poverty by bad government policy, burdening them with onerous paperwork, bureaucracy, and unfair financial penalties if they want to work to help them cope with the increasing cost of living.
We face government wastage and increased bureaucracy, adding to our record national debt, rent up and housing crisis, yet immigrants pouring in like never before, crime increasing so our children and grandchildren can’t enjoy their childhood like we could, and women are not safe in our own homes or country, hospitals are overstretched and medical treatments delayed, and, we’ve had a decline in the standard of living for six consecutive quarters.
We hear this is “good management”!
I’d say, we don’t just have a housing crisis and crime crisis, we have a management crisis.
Does anyone see where Australia is heading if we continue like this?
Do you worry if we continue down the unsuccessful big and wasteful socialist government path, we’ll end up like Argentina did?
I mean the 100 plus years of socialism and poverty which changed Argentina from having one of the eight highest standards of living in the world, thanks to its mining and agriculture industries, pre decades of socialist governments.
The Argentinian history shows the two go together, socialism and poverty, for nearly all of the population, minus the privileged powerful few.
Fortunately for its people, Argentina has been given another chance more recently, thanks to its now outstanding leader.
But who wants more than 100 years of poverty and socialism, that’s not what built our country, not what gave us opportunities and a standard of living we were envied for.
Surely it’s better we give our all, and avoid the socialist down path.
The USA chose to back away from the socialist precipice and charter a better path, the up path, one already proven to work by President Reagan and President Trump, 45.
And did you see the incredibly huge welcome president Trump and his sons got when they attended the big fight, the UFC, in New York recently?
Yes, even in a Democrat stronghold!
Let’s make a start by noting and learning from the vast majority of Americans and President Trump 47 after his inauguration in January 2025.
And let’s not forget, P’Nut the squirrel.
The much-loved pet of a New York couple, who rescued the then orphaned squirrel some seven years ago.
Then, shortly prior to November 5, four New York agencies became involved, a left leaning judge issued a warrant, and into their home entered a team of about 10 to 12 men.
For five hours their privacy was invaded, home ransacked, while the government agents looked for and captured P’Nut and Fred the raccoon.
The frightened pets were taken from their home, they had every reason to be frightened, the government agents decapitated them.
This may have influenced some voters who weren’t previously concerned about the increasing power and intrusion into lives big government and socialism provides.
It may have influenced some to have a second thought that big government and socialism aren’t kinder and better for us.
You may wonder why the taxpayers’ money was misused in such a way, why weren’t the government agents and judge better deployed to catch criminals and lower crime?
As Vice President-elect Vance pointed out, this is what can happen when we let government get too big and become too intrusive in our lives.
As Elon musk says: “The larger government gets, the less individual freedom you have. I think that’s really the core thing. Your freedoms have just been eroded year after year with more and more government, laws and regulations and regulatory authorities.”
May this true story about P’Nut, and all the things that affect you and your families as farmers and pastoralists, and threaten the very future of those on the land, and the industry of which we can all be so proud, inspire you.
Never has our country needed leaders who understand common sense like those on the land do, never has our country needed patriots, like the beautiful people I see in the outback and on farms across our nation.
Genuine, hard-working, battling Aussies.
Let’s spread your wisdom and common sense daily, to your family, friends and employees and contractors, when you visit towns and cities to all you meet, talk with the taxi and Uber drivers, talk with the small businesses, your accountants, lawyers, doctors, dentists and vets, and to your clubs and associations.
Join your preferred less left political party, talk to members of parliament, to the media, to the schools, and at night make time too, to send in letters to the editor and for online comments, even just many ticks and crosses to support those who are standing up.
Let all know to spread to members of parliament and keep reminding them, they must cut the size and expense and interference of government and cut government wastage.
Our governments are out of touch with this important message, but such action is needed to be able to reduce our inflationary record debt, and to be able to lower your taxes.
As President Trump would say, “you are beautiful people”, “you love our country”, and he’d add, “fight, fight, fight!”
Don’t be deterred if you don’t use fancy social media, genuineness, truth and sense are far more important, and social media wasn’t what people voted for, they voted for leadership for the up path, the path we want for Australia too, up with opportunities, up with standards of living, up with after-tax moneys in your pocket to spend as you would wish.
In other words, policies that make investment welcome, plus reduction in government wastage, reduction in the size and intrusion of government, reduction in government tape, regulation and taxes.
You have common sense, you know where the down path is leading, down with opportunities, down with after-tax money in your pocket, and down with standards of living for you and your family.
And let’s not become an industry that sees its future disappear because we didn’t stand up, we didn’t fight for it.
I’m just one person, my super friend, and Co-Patron of our National Day, Tony Seabrook, another.
And your MC tonight, the Hon Adam Giles, CEO of Hancock Agriculture and Kidman, makes three.
Yes, we love our industry and the fantastic, beautiful people in it, and try to do our bit, but three people isn’t enough, Australia needs you too.
Thank you for joining us here for National Agriculture Day!
