MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND FISHERIES

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (15:55): As a supplementary question, in light of his answer, can the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries equate this with the subsequent statement that he made on the day regarding the locust plague that he was informed of, and I quote, 'A bit surprised they've actually arrived in this state,' clearly demonstrating his ignorance of the existence and extent of the locust plague currently threatening the state, particularly the Riverland and the Mallee? Presumably locusts have yet to reach green, leafy Springfield.

The SPEAKER: I fail to see how that was a supplementary question to the last question.

Mr Pederick: I think it is very relevant.

The SPEAKER: I think we will count that as a question. Minister.

The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN (Napier—Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Northern Suburbs) (15:56): I was acting on the advice of the department.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN: Yes. When I arrived in the Riverland the first thing I did was put in a call and that was the response that I got, so I was acting on advice. The advice that I got at that particular time, which I did query—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN: The advice that I was given was that there had been some activity over the previous 18 months but not approaching the level of plague proportion and that PIRSA were quite surprised at the level of locust activity over those few days. That was the advice that I was given, and it was subsequently modified by PIRSA.