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MEMBER for New England Barnaby Joyce has come out swinging at independent candidate Tony Windsor, following his scathing attack on Mr Joyce's televised comments in relation to the ban on live exports and the influx of asylum seekers from Indonesia in 2011.
Mr Joyce has accused Mr Windsor of rewriting parliamentary history with claims the temporary ban was supported by The Nationals, and says this was not the case, as shown by the votes on the motion five years ago.
"Mr Windsor has deliberately twisted the facts in a statement in his media release, which says that the decision to suspend live trade had extensive support, including The Nationals," Mr Joyce said in a statement yesterday.
"I never want to see cattle prices that low again, but the only sure way to devastate the industry again is to vote for Tony Windsor and his Green friends.
"I have spoken with producers who clearly recall that in 2011, when the ban was imposed, their business was damaged for up to two years."
Somerton beef producer Tom Woolaston said, conservatively, the impact on his business was a loss of at least $100,000.
"But, realistically, I believe the impact on my business was more in the order of $200,000 to $300,000," Mr Woolaston said.
"I believe the decision flooded the southern markets, as producers trying to get stock processed trucked their cattle as far south as Melbourne.
"The damage that ban created was unreal.
"It affected all of Australia."
Mr Joyce alleged Mr Windsor continued to show his contempt for cattle producers by voting with the majority (no) on the division private members' business Live Animal Exports, introduced by Liberal MP Warren Entsch, meaning it was rejected in 2012.
Mr Joyce had earlier clarified to media yesterday his comments supposedly connecting the ban on live exports in 2011 and an influx of boats of asylum seekers was retaliation from the Indonesian government.
"All I was saying is you don't fix a problem by creating another problem," Mr Joyce said.
"In government, Labor undermined both our economic and national security."
