Qld: Howard acussed of discriminating against QLD
By Alex Murdoch
BRISBANE, Dec 22 AAP - The Queensland Government today accused Prime Minister JohnHoward of discriminating against the state's drought-stricken farmers by withholding emergencyfunding.
Queensland Primary Industries and Rural Communities Minister Henry Palaszczuk saidsome farmers would even find it hard putting food on the table for Christmas.
He vowed today to keep fighting the federal government to see justice done.
Mr Palaszczuk said on December 9 the federal government granted interim exceptionalcircumstance assistance to some farmers in Queensland, but 54 shires later declared droughtstricken missed out.
He said all farmers affected by the drought in NSW, South Australia and Victoria, however,had received the grant.
"(Federal Agricultural minister) Warren Truss, somehow or other, who's a Queenslandagricultural minister, has a mindset against farmers in Queensland," Mr Palaszczuk said.
He said he and Premier Peter Beattie had written to the prime minister twice to requestassistance on behalf of the drought-stricken shires.
"Unfortunately we have now received notification from the federal agricultural ministerthat our letter has been unsuccessful," Mr Palaszczuk said.
He said he believed Mr Howard and his ministers' minds were centred on the world stagerather than the plight of Australia's own farmers.
"The conditions are not improving, they are deteriorating ... I reckon within the nextthree weeks we will know how badly our farmers are being affected," he said.
Mr Palaszczuk said the state government had already chipped in to help the beleagueredfarmers, with a raft of new measures to be implemented.
He said he could not put a financial figure on Queensland's aid contribution becausethe government received dozens of applications seeking assistance every week.
Comment is being sought from Mr Truss's office.
AAP am/csd/de
KEYWORD: DROUGHT QLD
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