Brian Egan, Aussie Helpers founder, speaks with Ben Fordham (Sydney Live Radio Program) on 2 May 2015 about our Aussie farmers and the distress they are in due to our massive drought, that seems to never end for our Aussie farmers.
THANK YOU 2GB LISTENERS for raising $48,000 for the worthy AUSSIE HELPERS cause… Brian Egan
Ben asked Brian what three things Brian thought our Government could do to assist Aussie Farmers better, and these were Brian’s recommendations:
1/ Give farmers a moratorium on the interest on their loans until the drought is over;
(to avoid farmers anxiety and having to sell up their machines and breeding stock just to survive, yet these items are vital for them to survive in long term – AND this can be done by the stroke of a pen!!)
2/ State & Federal Governments give small businesses in drought affected towns wage subsidies so they can afford to continue;
(so many skilled workers are leaving the drought affected areas due to unemployment which is only making matters worse for everyone and they never come back, so we need to keep them while we still can)
3/ Federal Government to bring back EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES (via fortnightly Centrelink support) and just get rid of the (useless) Farm Household payment (which no one can apply for because it is designed so no one qualifies for it anyway) and the “EC” Centrelink money, although only the value of unemployment benefits, is at least something that farmers can use to put some food on the table with, or change tyres and have a bit extra cash flow to get through this terrible drought period.
AUSSIE HELPERS TEAM
(click on the play button below to listen to this great interview!)