Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus

Ms PRATT (Frome) (14:21): My question is to the Premier. What does the Premier say to Oriana and Peter Petsios who own SA Tomato? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Ms PRATT: SA Tomato is a small family business that currently employs 25 staff and contributes in excess of $6 million to the local economy. Due to inaction from PIRSA, they say they have now lost future orders for 2025 and their business is becoming unsustainable.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:21): I would say to those business owners—good South Australians doing their absolute best—that the government, at the government political architecture level, is seeking to apply as much scrutiny and, when appropriate, pressure to make sure that everybody is working as hard as they can to address the concerns possible.

No-one on that side of the chamber is a scientist in this area, nor is anybody on this side of the chamber, so we put our confidence in those regulators and then we scrutinise it. We ask questions, we put pressure where we can. I am not yet aware of—and I am happy to stand corrected on this—an alternative policy proposition. I accept that there are questions around compensation, but I am not yet aware of an alternative policy proposition that is emanating from those opposite. There are questions, to which you are entitled to an answer—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left, including the leader, will come to order. You have been asked to listen to the Premier's response in silence.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: We will continue to ensure, from the government's perspective, at a cabinet level, that PIRSA is working as hard as they can to address the various concerns.