TasFarmers Matters - Bush loses voice in Canberra

It’s official, the 2025 federal election has redrawn the map of Australian politics, especially for agriculture. 

The breakdown of the Liberal–National alliance this week has left a glaring void in Canberra: the absence of a clear voice for farmers within the Liberal Party room.

At a time when farmers face mounting challenges, that silence isn’t just troubling. It’s dangerous. 

Without strong parliamentary representation and opposition, the policy failures already unfolding in Victoria offer a grim preview of what’s to come nationwide..

As of May 2025, Victoria holds the highest debt in the country. To pay for its failures, the state government has proposed a new annual fire levy. 

This is a tax forcing property owners to fund services they often deliver voluntarily. It’s the kind of disconnected policy that happens when governments legislate without listening.

That detachment is fast becoming a defining feature of Australian politics. 

Policies like taxing unrealised capital gains may be sold as fair, but they send a dangerous signal, one that triggers capital flight, undermines confidence, and discourages investment.

As seen in the Netherlands, such measures prompt entrepreneurs and productive individuals to relocate, taking their capital and initiative with them. 

If replicated here, the national economy could follow Victoria’s path not just into deeper debt, but into long-term decline.

From proposals to tax unrealised superannuation gains, to endless layers of red and green tape, too many in government have lost sight of the everyday. 

When ideology overrides pragmatism, rural Australians are left without champions.

That’s why advocacy matters; when governments stop listening, it’s up o the industry to get organised. Farm advocacy is no longer a luxury, it’s the last safeguard in a democratic process that should be led by the people it impacts. It’s how we ensure farming communities don’t just survive, they thrive.

And it works:

We stopped fire levy increases of up to 1,000% in Tasmania.

We were a leading voice against the now-defunct Federal Biosecurity Levy.

We secured Senate attention for much-needed reform to the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme.

These aren’t political wins - they’re practical ones. 

They happened because farmers backed farmers. Because when elected representatives go quiet, your advocacy body must speak louder.

Being a member of TasFarmers is more than a subscription or a levy. It’s a statement that your voice matters. 

It’s an investment in smarter policy, grounded in lived experience.

It’s a commitment to standing shoulder to shoulder with others, when too many are turning their backs.

Without strong, independent advocacy, we risk becoming a one-party nation where farmers are left to shoulder the cost of ideology cooked up far from the paddock. 

We risk equal misery dressed up as fairness. 

We risk silence,  just when we most need noise.