Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd promised further assistance to help the struggling drought-affected farmers following a heartfelt plea from Australian of the Year Lee Kernaghan.
Rudd said on Saturday everything Kernaghan had to say was spot on and that's why he was a great voice for rural Australia.
The prime minister said that with the drought persisting for the better part of a decade, Labor, on taking government, had pledged to review exceptional circumstances drought assistance and how to better manage the whole question of financial support for drought-hit farmers.
"Drought is now not one in 20 years. It is one in two years at this level of intensity and that is why we have got to look at on-farm support and also the overall financial assistance package to farmers," he said.
He said everything physically possible had to be done for farming communities going through a terrible time.
"That is why we have reviewed as a matter of urgency since coming into government the adequacy of what we do for financial support for farmers," he said.
Kernaghan, a prominent country and western musician, was chosen2008 Australian of the Year for championing drought-affected farmers and farm communities. He told the prime minister on Saturday the drought had taken a massive toll on many farming families and help was needed for the farmers.
Source: Xinhua
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