It was out of these concerns that the government established the stewardship program for the box gum woodlands.

This is a piloting of a limited program where farmers are for the first time receiving stewardship payments for their role as environmental managers.

I constantly hear examples as I travel around the country of tragic stories of farmers engaging in self harm.

Australia has never been, and should never be a country where anyone is encouraged to hurt themselves.

The media announcement concerning this protest [Farmers rally; 2 February 2010] appears to be using an action of self harm as a political opportunity and I do not intend to have anything to do with it.