As you would be aware, South Australians will be going to the polls to elect a new State Government on 19th March 2022.
In the past, YPLOG’s policy has been to;
- ask each candidate to outline their position re the mining versus agriculture issue and
- circulate those views to YPLOG members with no editorial comment or indication of support for any one of the candidates.
However, after very careful and lengthy deliberation, the YPLOG Committee, in conjunction with the Concerned Farmers Group, has decided to deviate from this approach for this upcoming election.
At the meeting of the YPLOG/CFG Committee on 15th February, the following Motion was passed:
MOTION
- At the March 2022 State Election, the YPLOG/CFG Committee urges YPLOG members, when deciding how to cast their vote, to give consideration to supporting Mr Ellis’s strong track record over the past four years in seeking stronger protection for farmers and agriculture against mining incursions and for his other achievements for the benefit of the community.
Justification
- During his first term in Parliament Mr Ellis has, in the Committee’s view, been a strong, effective campaigner for greater protection for farmers and agriculture against inappropriate mining development on YP. He has:
- consistently raised the issue in his Parliamentary speeches and media interviews;
- took the unprecedented step on two separate occasions to cross the Floor to vote against his own Government’s Mining Bill. In so doing, he acted in accordance with the wishes of YPLOG and the YP farming community, who were strongly opposed to this inequitable Bill. His actions attracted widespread national and state media attention and effectively shone a spotlight on the power imbalance between farmers and miners over land access in South Australia.
- More recently, he served as a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry into Land Access for Resource Companies, which recommended a new legislative approach to land access in SA. Again, this recommendation was in line with YPLOG/CFG’s stated position.
- In summary, it is the view of the YPLOG/CFG Committee that, during the past four years, Mr Ellis has fulfilled his pre-election promise to fight for a more equitable land access regime for farmers and by so doing, has effectively represented the expressed wishes of YPLOG/CFG and his broader farming constituency.
Caveats
In reaching its decision, the YPLOG/CFG Committee stipulated the following caveats;
- The Committee’s support applies primarily to the issue of Mr Ellis’s performance in advocating for greater protection for farmers and agricultural land against inappropriate resource development.
- It is based on the fact that Mr Ellis is standing as an Independent candidate. It does not, in any way, imply an endorsement of the Liberal Party which has done little over the past 4 years of Government to redress the power imbalance between farmers and miners re land access.
- While recognising the possibility of Mr Ellis returning to the Liberal Party at some stage post-election, the Committee agreed that our decision could only be based on the current status quo, rather than on what may possibly happen in the future.
- Finally, we acknowledge that other candidates for the seat of Narungga may also hold pro-farming views which we strongly welcome. However, the deciding factor for the Committee is that Mr Ellis has the ‘runs on the board’ and has demonstrated his courage to stand up or his farming constituents against his own Party and Government.
YORKE PENINSULA LAND OWNERS’ COMMITTEE and CONCERNED FARMERS GROUP