January 23, 2020
Queensland Dairyfarmers Organisation president – and Coolabunia dairy farmer – Brian Tessmann has weighed into the debate over the Metro North Hospital dairy contract, highlighting “pointless xenophobia”.
He published an “open letter” to all Queensland politicians on Thursday.
“While I am not privy to the ins and outs of the Queensland Government procurement policies, I do know there were several criteria that had to be satisfied and that the recent decision to award the Metro North Hospital and Health Services contract to Lactalis and Lion would not have been made lightly,” Mr Tessmann wrote.
“As politicians you would be fully aware of the complexity of the tendering process and know that many facts have been ignored for the sake of sensationalising a story.
“The Australian dairy industry is hurting. When you combine the impact of recent natural disasters – both fire and drought, rising costs of production and unsustainable pricing through the value chain – you begin to appreciate the pressure our farmers are facing.
“Certainly, we have enough on our plate without pointless xenophobia creeping in.
“As the president of the Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation, I can say with confidence that the farmers we represent are fed up with having the dairy industry treated like a political football over this issue.
“Two-thirds of our members supply either to Lactalis or Lion Dairy and Drinks. While both are internationally owned, these processors are vitally important to the Queensland dairy industry, Queensland jobs and the Queensland economy.
“I am a proud Lactalis supplier and have been for well over 20 years. The company that is now Lactalis Australia started in Queensland many decades ago and continues to trade under the original Pauls brand; a brand known and loved for generations.
“Please, I ask you all to stop sensationalising a story that, though disappointing to a Queensland small business, should have got two lines of commentary back when the tender was awarded in December last year.
“Instead, your influence and focus needs to be on helping our dairy industry move forward in these very difficult times.”
- Related article: MP Rejects ALP’s Dairy Claims
Well said Brian Tessmann
Very well said and so very correct. The LNP on this subject has really made in my belief a wrong judgement. The milk is not coming from overseas. Competition is part of business and maybe in the future the missed out parties maybe successful with future tenders.
Typical. This is all the LNP seems to do, playing folks against each other for political attention and maybe gain. That is of it wasn’t based on lies that are easily called out.
ZERO imported “Chinese UHT” milk as the LNP Leader claimed. Complains about “foreign” despite using a foreign petition that is NOT Parliamentary.
The LNP when in Governance selected the same Company that Labor has now.