Grain Industry

Mr HUGHES (Giles) (14:34): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Does the minister agree with the member for Narungga that it is inappropriate to debate matters impacting farming communities during harvest?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (14:34): I thank the member for Giles for his very important question. I have been involved in harvests for most of my life and, yes, it is an inconvenience when we—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: What kind of harvest?

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens is warned for the first time.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: It is an inconvenience when we have to get off machinery when we've got harvest underway. We know how important weather conditions are. We know how important the future of our farming is, but if there's something of importance that we have to get off our equipment—to go to a meeting—which many, many farmers do, yes, they will be unhappy about it, but nine times out of 10 they will attend the meetings, and they will attend the meetings for the right reasons: to voice their concerns or if it's for the future of their industry or the future of their farm. That's why they go and attend those meetings. I don't know what you're insinuating, whether farmers don't want to go and attend—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: I'm talking about the farmers.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: Aren't we talking about farmers here?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: Oh, we don't care about farmers. What, no votes in the farms?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Lee can leave for half an hour under 137A, thank you.

The honourable member for Lee having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. V.A. Chapman: Disgraceful.

The SPEAKER: The Deputy Premier is called to order.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: What I can assure you is that farmers act in accordance with the priorities within their working businesses. They act in accordance with the priority during harvest. Harvest is the most important time of the year for those farmers: it's payday, and there's never money in the bank until it's in the bank. But what I can assure you is that harvest time is a very, very important time for farmers. They spend all year preparing, seeding, spraying, maintaining and getting ready for that day to harvest. So what I will say to the opposition is that farmers will act in their best interests. If they see it is a priority to go to a meeting, that's what they will do.