Transcript
Station:
ABC SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND
Date:
16/03/2015
Program:
QLD COUNTRY HOUR
Time:
12:35 PM
Compere:
CRAIG ZONCA
Summary ID:
V00060995118
Item:
CARMEN BROWN REPORT ON FINAL SENATE COMMITTEE HEARING
INTO SUGAR INDUSTRY.
INTERVIEWEES: BARRY O'SULLIVAN, SENATOR; SHAYNE RUTHERFORD,
EXECUTIVE GENERAL MANAGER, WILMAR
Audience:
Male 16+
N/A
CRAIG ZONCA:
Female 16+
N/A
All people
N/A
And the final Senate committee hearing into the sugar
industry's bitter marketing dispute sat before a huge
crowd in Townsville on Friday of last week. As
expected, the proceedings did get a little heated at
times. It was a day many canegrowers had been
eagerly awaiting, with milling company Wilmar finally
getting its chance to present evidence before the
committee.
Our reporter, Carmen Brown, was there.
REPORTER:
It was before a crowd of several hundred canegrowers
that milling giant Wilmar attempted to defend its role
in the bitter marketing debate dividing the sugar
industry.
[Excerpt from hearing]
SHAYNE RUTHERFORD:
...but we just, unfortunately could not participate.
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UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: What is your fear of grower choice? What - how can
you fear that? If you believe that you have a superior
model of marketing that will benefit them, don't you
think that they've got the IQ to be able to decide
between you and some other broker? What is your
fear of grower's choice? I mean, to me, it's pat the
puppy, nurse the baby, grower's choice; it's a very
simple principle.
SHAYNE RUTHERFORD:
Well it's, you know...
[Applause]
[End of excerpt]
REPORTER:
But despite his repeated assurances, Wilmar executive
general manager Shayne Rutherford clearly struggled
to convince growers his company has their best
interests at heart. The crowd reacted to Wilmar's
evidence with a mix of anger and frustration at times,
as the committee struggled to get to the
straightforward answers it had come seeking.
Senator Barry O'Sullivan admits it was a difficult
process.
BARRY O'SULLIVAN:
I think they had a tough job, I think they knew that.
They've been observing these last three days and down
in Murwillumbah. They're locked into a position; but
look, they stood their ground there today. They stood
their ground on behalf of what they see as Wilmar's
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ABs = Managers, administrators, professions. GBs = Grocery buyers.
interests. But I don't know, it's 4500 to one at the
moment, so I think we'll be inclined - and I don't speak
for my colleagues, it's a personal opinion - I think my
final statement says it all. Whatever the solution is,
whether Wilmar participates and the growers
participate or not, it has to have a basis of trust and
confidence between millers and growers and it has to
meet the test of fairness and equity and it has to be
absolutely transparent, because that's the disinfectant
that keeps fair processes in place.
REPORTER:
It may seem like a near-impossible task for the millers
to regain the trust of canegrowers and ultimately move
the industry forward, but Wilmar's Shayne Rutherford
says he's confident the marketing dispute can be
resolved without the need for regulation.
SHAYNE RUTHERFORD:
I think it's a really long journey. I think there is a range
of views out there in the growers. I mean, we have
1500 growers and obviously there was only a
representative sample there today. I mean, we've had
very positive feedback from some growers that we
presented to recently. But part of the issue is that we
have had a very regulated industry and the beliefs that
many growers have about millers are the result of
generations of conflict within a regulated and statutory
orientated system. We've only been deregulated for 10
years and so it takes time to develop that level of trust
and we look forward to taking the growers on that
journey with us.
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our clients but no legal responsibility is taken for errors or omissions. (*) - Indicates unknown spelling or phonetic spelling.
Metro TV demographics are supplied by OzTAM, Radio and Non-Metro TV demographics are supplied by Nielsen Media
Research.
ABs = Managers, administrators, professions. GBs = Grocery buyers.
REPORTER:
So why has it had to come to a point where there's a
Senate hearing, to get to that point? Why can't Wilmar
build that trust on its own?
SHAYNE RUTHERFORD:
Yeah, it's a really good question and I think we've
committed to some principles that we've articulated.
We've invited the grower collectives late last year,
December last year, to an independently-facilitated
engagement process. We've put up straw man(*)
model, we've developed some agreements, we've tried
really hard to satisfy what we consider to be the
legitimate grower concerns in the area of transparency.
We're so confident that we've made a genuine effort,
we've actually provided those agreements of our own
volition to the ACCC and the State and Federal
Departments of Agriculture.
We've had some challenges in getting the grower
collectives to engage with us and you'd be aware that
we exchanged some correspondence with the Senate
committee today that demonstrated that we've been
trying really hard to bring the parties to the negotiating
table and we've been at pains to point out that our
discussions are without prejudice to whatever model
they want to discuss. I think it's actuall... absolutely
imperative that the parties actually come together and
I think the chairman of the Senate committee made
that call to arms in his conclusion and we strongly
support that.
AGENCY REPORT For private research and not to be disseminated. Every effort made to ensure accuracy for the benefit of
our clients but no legal responsibility is taken for errors or omissions. (*) - Indicates unknown spelling or phonetic spelling.
Metro TV demographics are supplied by OzTAM, Radio and Non-Metro TV demographics are supplied by Nielsen Media
Research.
ABs = Managers, administrators, professions. GBs = Grocery buyers.
REPORTER:
Senator Barry O'Sullivan remains hopeful the industry
can resolve the issue on its own, without government
intervention.
BARRY O'SULLIVAN:
Well look, the negotiations have been going on
between the parties now for quite a long period of
time and efforts have already been made. But we've
made some approaches, I've talked to the Millers
Council about coming back to the table. Clearly, my
colleague senators today made it clear to Wilmar that
they should get back to the table. Wilmar's on the
record now of saying that everything's on the table and
that will include grower economic interest. And so I'm
satisfied with that at this point.
CRAIG ZONCA:
Sounds like it's going to get even more interesting
when it comes to sugar marketing. Senator Barry
O'Sullivan ending that report from Carmen Brown.
*
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END
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TRANSCRIPT PRODUCED BY ISENTIA
www.isentia.com
AGENCY REPORT For private research and not to be disseminated. Every effort made to ensure accuracy for the benefit of
our clients but no legal responsibility is taken for errors or omissions. (*) - Indicates unknown spelling or phonetic spelling.
Metro TV demographics are supplied by OzTAM, Radio and Non-Metro TV demographics are supplied by Nielsen Media
Research.
ABs = Managers, administrators, professions. GBs = Grocery buyers.