Drought Assistance

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (14:55): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier support the advice given by his Minister for Primary Industries? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr PEDERICK: By a letter dated 4 March 2025 to the federal member for Barker, the Minister for Primary Industries wrote, and I quote:

…drought support must not encourage farmers to maintain stocking rates that are not sustainable in the present conditions.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:55): I haven't seen the correspondence to which the member refers, but what I would say is this: Minister Scriven is one of the more diligent people I have come across in public life. I know that she's been regularly engaging with primary producers, South Australian grain producers, Livestock SA and regional councils. She has travelled extraordinary volumes across the state to talk to people about the implications of drought. I have every confidence that the minister is addressing this challenge in a really honest and earnest way. I will refrain from making any particular commentary about the member for Barker for reasons that I am sure others—

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: Indeed it is, which is why I will refrain from entering into a political or any sort of thing. I thank Minister Scriven for her efforts. I am speaking to her frequently about the issue, and I have every confidence that the work that she's putting in, she's doing in accordance with the advice that she has received not just from her own agencies, like PIRSA, which is a pretty well-led organisation, I think, with one of the high-quality public servants in its operation, but also in conjunction with the advice that she receives from all the critical organisations that contribute to her policy development.