Foot and mouth disease will be an absolute agricultural, economic and cost of living disaster if makes its way the short distance from Indonesia to Australia.

Pigs, sheep, cattle, goats and more. Imagine when those items are not available in your local supermarket, good luck with the grocery bill then.

For towns, the cash flow stops as the saleyards close and everybody from the hairdressers to the accountants will feel the loss of income. Abattoir workers from Rockhampton to Murray Bridge will lose their jobs. But the new federal minister Senator Murray Watt has done little to nothing when you reflect on the actual gravitas of the threat. Detector dogs in Darwin and Cairns, additional signage and a social media campaign. Yep, that should do it Murray!

For goodness sake, people are walking around Bali at the moment and about to pack their things to come home to Dubbo.

I would not allow them to bring their shoes home. Buy a cheap pair on the way out and throw them out on the way back like you dispose of fruit from overseas.

After the experience of Mr Depp, Amber Herd and their two dogs, we must also step up the penalty for those who try to get around the law. A penalty comparable to the pain they risk to cause.

When I was a boy at primary school my father, a vet, was in the role as one of the senior vets in the eradication of brucellosis. It was a period of immense local heat as properties went into quarantine. I remember one farmer wanting to fight Dad as if he had perversely inflicted brucellosis on to his quarantined farm.

Foot and mouth disease when it gets into the feral pig population present in their millions across Australia will make brucellosis seem minor.

The fix is near impossible, so the threat is massive and the response thus far by the Government is pathetic.

As I go around this issue is at the forefront of so many peoples minds. It is in the minds of many bank managers as well. If compensation is required, it will be at the forefront of the Treasurer’s mind as well.

This is an early test of competency for the new Labor government and what we hear thus far is they are more interested in legislation to change the weather than actions to stop what could be one of the greatest economic hits to our economy in a generation.